Experts from Arkhangelsk and Velsk have returned from the working trip held within the Russian-Norwegian project “Systematic approach to non-contagious diseases prevention”.

The experts visited a Center of Healthy Life in the Modum municipality, Norway. The Center specialises on physical activization, formation of healthy eating habits, psychological invigoration, and motivation to tobacco cessation.

In Norway the centers of healthy life have an important social role: people there don’t only learn more about their health, but also organize their free time, socialize, and find new friends. There are 19 centers of this kind in Norway, and over 2000 people visit them annually. Norwegian experts indicate that since such centers have been opened, health indicators have significantly improved all over the country.

The Russian experts also learnt about work of general practice doctors in Barrum commune, and work of activity centers. These are centers for pregnant women, women with small kids, and teenagers. In the center mothers learn to feed and take care of children, and share their experience. Teenagersin this center spend their time after classes and during vacations: they socialize, do sports, and do their homework.

Nadezhda Pyshnogradova, Chief non-staff specialist on Prevention Medicine of the Arkhangelsk region, reported:

“In Norway the term ‘public health’ is widely used. Factors that form public health are all those factors that can influence health of an individual: construction level, education, employment rates, road condition. It is not only the health care system that is responsible for health, but also social institutions. We will analyze and summarize the Norwegian experience, and implement technologies that have proven their efficiency”.

Arkhangelsk Region Ministry on Health Care