Sanja Musić Milanović Participates in Kyiv Summit of First Ladies, Presents National Health Promotion Programme “Healthy Living”
Mrs. Sanja Musić Milanović, wife of the President of the Republic of Croatia Zoran Milanović, at the invitation of Mrs. Olga Zelenska, wife of the President of Ukraine, participated via video message in the Kyiv Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen held on 23 August in Kyiv.
Mrs. Musić Milanović spoke at the panel entitled “Key to the new reality: leave no one behind”. In her address, she noted that in her years-long scientific and professional career she has been devoted to preserving and improving people’s health, something she is actively working on and advocating as the wife of the Croatian President. She underlined that her efforts are focused on stimulating and participating in many projects and tasks in the Republic of Croatia whose aim is to “encourage people of all age groups, who live in different environments, to lead more active and healthier lives, and that is a big step towards preserving and improving people’s health.”
In her address, she talked about the National Health Promotion Programme “Healthy Living” she is leading, emphasizing that the Programme has been in development since 2002, and is based on long-standing scientific research on the factors that determine obesity since childhood. She explained that “Healthy Living” is a comprehensive, multi-sectoral health promotion project targeted at the general population and all age groups. “The activities implemented on a national level include informing, educating, and raising awareness about the positive aspects of healthy lifestyles, but also aiming to create accessible, healthier environments in cooperation with local communities aligned with their specific needs”, Mrs. Musić Milanović stated.
She also indicated the need for “innovative and new initiatives and solutions in the area of prevention and treatment of obesity that are based on scientific and expert evidence and respond to the needs of the local communities”. She concluded by saying that obesity is a global public health burden, and not just the issue of a single nation. She referred to the fact that obesity is also a significant risk factor for many leading chronic non communicable diseases that burden both the citizens and health care systems. In conclusion, she underlined the importance of joint action on a global level.
In the focus of the Kyiv Summit were humanitarian, health care and social projects that the First Ladies and Gentlemen engage in within the scope of their activities.
