How to extend the life of Poles? Deputy Minister of Health Urszula Demkow: This needs to be changed in many factors

Although we live longer and longer, we are still not as good as the inhabitants of Western Europe in this respect. We also have the so-called worse ones. healthy life. How can this be changed? Prof. commented on this topic. Urszula Demkow, Deputy Minister of Health. She emphasized not only the role of prevention, but also the environment in which people live.

– This needs to be changed in many ways. First of all, various public health programs, i.e. addressed to healthy people, are very important – said prof. Urszula Demkow, adding that it is also important to start taking care of your health before you are born by using health programs addressed to future mothers. The Deputy Minister of Health also emphasized the importance of an appropriate lifestyle, nutrition, eliminating stimulants and using medical care.

A person's entire life is very important, from the moment of birth to the moment when he or she falls ill, and this moment should be as late as possible, as far away as possible, or that the person may not fall ill at all. And there are a huge number of different factors here: lifestyle, diet, exercise, various risky behaviors, preventive actions such as vaccinations, avoiding stimulants, avoiding stress, she said.

One of the factors determining a healthy life is the environment. Urszula Demkow also drew attention to this aspect. – It is also important that the environment in which people live is as healthy as possible. This is about the purity of water, air and food. The state should ensure that what citizens eat, drink and the air they breathe meet health standards. And that we live in the cleanest environment possible. Human health, animal health and the state of the environment are referred to as “One Health”, i.e. one health for everything – for plants, for animals, for people. When we combine all these factors, only then will a person be able to optimally maintain health, explained Professor Urszula Demkow.

The Deputy Minister of Health also raised the issue of social inequalities. – It is also important that we address certain special preventive programs to people with health inequalities. People who are worse off financially and who are less educated generally have less knowledge about health, less willingness to take care of their health and a greater willingness to engage in risky behaviors and use stimulants. They also care less about their health and use preventive programs less. To live longer and healthier, we must combine many factors. On the one hand, this is the state's action on a number of fronts, and on the other hand, it is our own responsibility for our health, she concluded.