Wednesday was dedicated to academia here in Zagreb. Despite the weather and some navigation issues, we visited the Stampar Institute and the Medical School of Zagreb. At both locations we had a chance to discuss with our hosts how Croatia integrates public health into its schools and how the country deals with relevant health issues.
Although an actual bachelor's degree in public health is still in the works, universities in Croatia take a comprehensive approach to educating their health workers. Public health classes are a part of all health curriculums, which means, unlike in the U.S., doctors, nurses, social workers, and other professionals are learning various components of public health. I felt this teaching method would make health workers here in Croatia more competent professionals, better able to understand how to approach and efficiently diagnose and treat patients. Students in Croatia are also expected to spend time out in the communities where they can learn more about how their patients live day to day. Again, I feel this is helping to improve healthcare professionals' ability to care for patients.
Besides learning about teaching methods, we were also able to talk with our hosts about what they felt were the most pressing health issues facing Croatia right now. In no particular order, they listed cardiovascular disease, smoking, accidents (especially traffic related), and drug addiction. The professors we met with were eager to talk about the anti-smoking campaign the country initiated a few years back. The campaign slogan, “Say YES to no smoking” wouldn't seem like a successful phrase to promote a national smoking cessation campaign but the professors seemed adamant that it had been a success. Other components to the campaign included a 24 hour hotline, smoking cessation classes, and information for smokers on the campaign website. We wondered how the effectiveness of the campaign was measured but unfortunately some things were lost in translation. Our hosts also talked passionately about the problem of traffic accidents within the country. High fatality rates due to drunk driving caused legislators to pass a zero-tolerance policy. Unfortunately the importance of wine and drinking within the Croatian culture combined with enforcement difficulties has caused this policy to have little effect on lowering fatality rates. We of course had lots of suggestions for policy alternatives since we are used to so many driving regulations back home. Speed limits, curfews, and increased funding for police coverage were all offered as potential solutions. Our hosts found these to be good ideas but weren't sure they would be feasible policies in their country. We're beginning to understand that culture and economics are strong influences on Croatians' policy decisions. - Maggie
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