Faces of WHO – Michail

Michail Okoliyski – WHO Country Office, Bulgaria

29 April 2021

Michail Okoliyski is a doctor of psychotherapy and sexology who works as a National Professional Officer at the WHO Country Office in Bulgaria. To stay healthy and recharge, he heads for the waves of the Black Sea (or elsewhere) with his windsurfing gear.

What drew you to WHO?

I have always liked the WHO concept of complete well-being. It is, of course, a chimera that can never be fully reached, but the ultimate goal is to find synergy and balance between your physical, mental, social, sexual, and emotional health – not only the absence of disease. This goal is very important and very close to my heart.

After finishing my studies at the Humboldt University of Berlin, I returned to Bulgaria and worked for the Ministry of Health for 15 years in mental health care, and the national reform of mental health and psychiatric care. I joined WHO seven years ago as a Head of Office, and for the past three years I have been working as a public health expert, covering all areas of work: noncommunicable diseases, mental health and communicable diseases. I also teach sexology and reproductive health at the South-West University “Neofit Rilski” of Blagoevgrad as part of my work at WHO. I genuinely enjoy what I do.

Tell us about how your work has affected others.

This is the ultimate question, perhaps the most important question of them all: are we making a difference for others – does our work have an impact? I believe we are. Let me give you a few examples. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, with all its uncertainties and unknowns, I think what was most needed in Bulgaria was a reliable, fact-based but also humane response to people’s fears and need for accurate information and data, paired with recommendations on how they should behave. What the country team and I did was work as hard as possible to deliver good practices and accurate, evidence-based information to the people of Bulgaria.

Another example is our work on health and sexual education. There is a big difference between the Balkan countries and western countries – for instance, in Germany, sexual education is viewed as a normal thing that contributes to a healthy start in life. The reason why we are fighting for this is simple: the absence of health and sexual education can contribute to unhealthy behaviours and unhealthy choices such as tobacco, alcohol, physical inactivity or not practicing safe sex. Today, we can already see positive outcomes of our efforts – we are reaching people and behaviours are changing slowly but surely.

You’re a small office with a big impact. How?

There are only three of us, but impact is not tied to the size of a WHO country office. By working with partners we can achieve far more than by working alone in our respective silos. For instance, we have worked closely with our United Nations sister agency UNICEF throughout the COVID-19 response. Another important example is our work with partners to provide services for vulnerable women and children who have suffered domestic violence. Even before the pandemic, there was enormous need for support in this area, and it has only increased since the crisis began. Last year there were more than 20 cases of women being killed by their partners. Together with our WHO colleagues and partners, such as the Ombudsman and the leading NGO in the area, Animus, we were able to support the introduction of policies such as the new National Programme for the Prevention of Domestic Violence. Now we are pushing Bulgaria to sign the Istanbul convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. The joint support we provide is also practical, for example, by establishing centres for victims of violence, or offering trainings for general practitioners, social workers and police officers. These are only a few examples. We receive feedback from the Ombudsman and from organizations supporting victims, and this feedback really makes us feel useful. Through our work, together with our partners, we have delivered concrete results and a change for the better.

How do you stay healthy?

I don’t use a car here in Sofia. I stay healthy by biking to meetings. I also windsurf – I have a passion for the water, the sea and the wind – it has the capacity to wash both your fatigue and your troubles away, and you can make a fresh start, not only in your personal life, but also at work. This was especially crucial during the pandemic and the restrictions that followed. It is important to stay fit, for both your mind and your body, as it will influence your motivation, mental acuity and ability to work.

Speaking of the pandemic: imagine one more year of restrictions during which you only get to have one book and one piece of music. What’s your pick?

I’m a big fan of Depeche Mode and The Cure. Can I pick an album? I would keep the album 101 by Depeche Mode. And as my book I would pick the Bible, unless I can have one more book?

No, you can’t. But you can invite one person for dinner, present or historic. Who would that be?

Oh wow. I think I would invite Winston Churchill. He’s a very interesting character. As a leader, he was able to bring together different forces, all of the United Kingdom and other allies, in the fight against the Nazi regime. He also had a very human side, which I find very interesting. He had intense exchanges with his wife before the women’s liberation movement took hold, and he wasn’t afraid to ask his wife’s advice and show that he was benefiting from it. He is also linked to the history of Bulgaria during World War II. I’m interested in people who show weakness, and I like to learn more about how they are, or were, dealing with life, and how they were able to continue despite big mistakes and major losses. Churchill sometimes made terrible decisions but he survived. I find him to be a complex, interesting, controversial and vulnerable person.

WHO Country Office Bulgaria

• Number of staff: 3
• Operating since the early 1990s.
• Key focus areas: mental health, noncommunicable diseases, HIV, viral hepatitis, tobacco, nutrition, health promoting schools, violence against women, violence against children, health systems.
• The WHO CO has developed coalitions for fighting of violence against women and domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic with the Ombudsman, NGO Animus, UNICEF and National Centre for Public Health and Analyses/Ministry of Health. They have also supported the NGO Single Step in the provision of HIV self-testing kits and other services for LGBT people and vulnerable groups.