Gaining health : analysis of policy development in European ...

healthy nutrition and physical activity at work. The Association
and the Faculty of Health Psychology of Eötvös Loránd
University jointly organize “train the trainer” seminars in
smoking cessation.
2.8.3. Health Promoting Schools
The Health Promoting Schools network in Hungary is less
active now, when it made an important contribution to the
institutionalization of health promotion in schools. Hungary
was among the first countries to join the ENHPS in 1990,
with 10 schools involved at that time.
According to a decree by the Ministry of Education, health
promotion has to be included in the “class master class”,
which usually takes place once a week. This has managed to
create a mandatory countrywide system of health education
in the regular school curriculum. Nevertheless, the content
and type of health education have not been specified
and teachers are generally not suitably trained.
The Health Promoting Schools network clearly plays an
important role in providing expertise to assist its more than
300 member institutions in the implementation of successful
complex health promotion programmes in schools. It is
reported that only a handful schools (generally members
of the network) take real advantage of the decree of the
Ministry. Some schools carry out programmes in specific
health-related fields such as smoking or HIV prevention on
either an ad-hoc or a regular basis. It is more typical that
schools launch a “healthy day” or a “healthy week” to raise
awareness of health promotion. A number of schools organize
a “lifestyle camp” to address some key health-related
issues.
In summary, there are positive efforts to foster health
promotion in schools but access is better for those who are
well-informed and trained and have sufficient basic resources
to take advantage of the opportunities.
2.9. Policies for specific population groups
2.9.1. Deprived groups
The health of marginalized and other vulnerable groups is
an explicit component of the NPHP and a number of activities
have been undertaken in the last few years, for example
to improve the health of the Roma population. Most
of the risk-related programmes have some special components
for poor and socially excluded people. Screening
programmes pay special attention to reducing inequality of
accessibility. The Government has launched a new strategy
against child poverty, in which health plays an integral part.
In the last few years, Hungary has given priority to specific
gender-related health issues among both women and men.
In some socially excluded groups, such as the unemployed
and migrants, public health action is fragmentary or missing.
Tackling the social and economic determinants of health
inequalities has become a generally recognized principle
among decision-makers and practitioners in Hungary in
recent years. There are examples of good practice at local
level, but all this is largely insufficient in the face of still
increasing health inequities in Hungary.
2.9.2. Healthy ageing
One of the critical weaknesses in health promotion and
disease prevention relates to the target group of elderly
people. In 1996, a Committee for Elderly People was established
within the Ministry of Health. The Committee meets
regularly, with members delegated from the civil sector and
experts from the health care system. In 2001, the Committee
assigned a Commissioner of Health Care for Elderly
People, responsible for preparing a health care programme
for the elderly. The programme follows the main areas set
out in the Elderly People’s Charter prepared by the Committee.
These areas are:
• participation in social activity
• social and economic security
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Case studies: policy development in countries for tackling noncommunicable diseases