Prevention – the Foundation of a Successful Health Policy

On the occasion of the visit of the Swiss partner RADIX Swiss Health Foundation to Slovakia, a conference titled “Prevention – the Foundation of a Successful Health Policy” was held on 1–2 December 2025 under the auspices of the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic.

The conference was organized as part of the project “Strengthening the Governance of Non-Communicable Disease Prevention and Health Promotion in Slovakia 2025–2028”, co-financed by the Swiss–Slovak Health Programme, in cooperation with the Public Health Authority of the Slovak Republic, the Regional Public Health Authority Bratislava, and the Ministry of Investments, Regional Development and Informatization of the Slovak Republic.

The event brought together primarily prevention coordinators of the Health Programme, as well as representatives of self-governing regions, cities and municipalities, non-governmental organizations, and experts in multi-sectoral issues (Ministry of Investments, Regional Development and Informatization; Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth; Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family; Ministry of Finance; Institute for Strategy and Analysis of the Government Office; Health Care Surveillance Authority; State Institute for Drug Control; and health insurance companies).

This joint interactive meeting served as a platform for presenting the ongoing project, exchanging experiences between invited guests and experts, and connecting stakeholders at national and regional levels. It launched successful cooperation in developing a governance model for disease prevention and health promotion, as well as a National Portal of Best Practices in Health Promotion and Non-Communicable Disease Prevention in Slovakia.

Topics discussed included:

• Strategic planning in disease prevention and health promotion, relevant policies and governance approaches
• The Swiss model of prevention and health-promotion governance, including its development and implementation
• Steps and initiatives required to develop a governance model for prevention and health promotion
• Recommendations from Swiss partners for accelerating this process
• Behavioural and cultural determinants of health
• The state of health promotion in Slovakia and Switzerland at regional and local levels
• Inputs for implementing best practices in health promotion and non-communicable disease prevention
• Considerations regarding sources of sustainable financing for non-communicable disease prevention