The health of the Croatian population is marked by lower life expectancy than the EU average and high mortality from chronic non-communicable diseases, the Director of the Croatian Public Health Institute (HZJZ), Krunoslav Capak, warns ahead of World Health Day, observed on 7 April.

Croatians are EU leaders in risky behaviours such as smoking, alcohol drinking, obesity, and physical inactivity, Capak said at a press conference.

“We rank second in terms of the body mass index, only Malta is worse than us, and we are close to the top in the EU when it comes to the share of smokers and alcohol consumers,” he added.

On the upside, he cited declines in mortality from cardiovascular diseases, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer.

To improve the nation’s state of health, more work will be done on prevention and early detection of diseases. A program for early detection of familial hypercholesterolemia is in its test phase.

An action plan for prevention of obesity is being prepared, and Croatia will soon roll out a national program for early detection and prevention of melanoma, which will make it the first country in the world to do so. There is also ongoing work on programs for early detection of prostate and stomach cancer, Capak said.

After a temporary hiatus, the national program for early detection of cervical cancer is being relaunched with new methodology.

As part of the health reform, preventive medical check-ups are being introduced. They will be free of charge for all citizens and will be carried out at community health centres, Capak said.

Health Minister Vili Beros said that one of the priorities will be to reduce the incidence of chronic non-communicable diseases.

An estimated 93% of deaths in Croatia are caused by chronic non-communicable diseases. The highest incidence rates are recorded for cardiovascular diseases, cancers, injuries and mental disorders, Beros said.

In Croatia, 13,206 people died from cancer in 2021, including 7,585 men and 5,621 women.

Danijela Stimac-Grbic from the HZJZ Department of Mental Health and Addiction Prevention, said that mental health was one of the leading problems in Croatia before the COVID-19 pandemic and has become a priority after the pandemic.

Mental disorders caused by alcohol consumption have been the leading cause of hospitalisation in Croatia for decades, followed by schizophrenia, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the HZJZ.

Suicide rates in Croatia are higher than the EU average. The highest rates of mortality from suicide are recorded in the age group of 65 years and over, in particular in Krapina-Zagorje County, which is linked to alcohol abuse, Stimac-Grbic said.