Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 21 October (BelTA) - The preservation and promotion of the health of citizens is a strategic priority of Belarus, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said speaking at the WHO European Ministerial Conference on the Life-course Approach in the Context of Health 2020 in Minsk on 21 October, BelTA has learned.

The head of state noted with regret that the economic losses associated with the incidence of able-bodied citizens, disability and mortality are still high.

"The impact of such risk factors as smoking, alcohol abuse, physical inactivity, unbalanced diet and stress lead to the development of non-communicable diseases, but they are preventable," said the Belarusian leader.

With the support of the WHO Regional Office for Europe, taking into account the international best practices, the measures have been developed to combat non-communicable diseases, the President informed. "We invest heavily in disease prevention. We work to improve the living conditions, insure employees against accidents,” he said.

Alexander Lukashenko noted that Belarus has achieved positive results in the fight against smoking. According to him, the work to prevent and control non-communicable diseases is carried out through the introduction of principles of healthy lifestyle and elimination of risk factors. An active campaign is underway to prevent alcoholism and drug use, with special emphasis on youth. "Care for the younger generation is the key to a successful future and sustainable development of the country. It is very important that young women and young men actively participate in the development of society, have high moral values and necessarily do sports," said the Belarusian leader.

The head of state stressed that for Belarus it is an obvious fact the health of a nation depends directly on the level of physical development. He pointed out that the country seeks to achieve the ambitious goal: to involve 30-40% of the population in sport and to make the healthy lifestyle the hallmark of Belarus. Therefore the country has been taking systematic effort to promote it.

Alexander Lukashenko drew attention to the fact that the state also takes care of the elderly, creating all conditions for their long, healthy, active and creative life.