Medicus, Vol. 34. No. 1. KRM zdravlje, 2025.
Review article
Effectiveness of Public Health Actions and their Effects in Clinical Practice
Ivan Pećin
Ana Jelaković
Josipa Josipović
Valerija Bralić Lang
Olgica Velkovski
Andrej Belančić
Bojan Jelaković
Abstract
Arterial hypertension, present in more than half of the adult population of the Republic of Croatia, is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and renal diseases. Given its often asymptomatic progression, early detection and education play a key role in prevention. The Croatian League for Hypertension (HLH), through the ongoing public health campaign “Hunting for the Silent Killer” and two sub-campaigns: “Do you Know your Number?” and “Mission 70/26”, successfully implement widely available preventive actions and health education. “Hunting for the Silent Killer” has been ongoing since 2019, and in the last three years, more than 50 public health actions have been carried out in 18 cities, with over 20,000 individual exams performed and a significant number of newly discovered cases of arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes. The HLH uses a multidisciplinary approach and combines education, preventative exams and a digital presence through websites, newsletters and social media. The websites record more than 5,000 individual visits per year, and newsletters with a high frequency of visits further strengthen awareness. The actions are increasingly reflected in clinical practice, especially through a higher number of self-initiated check-ups, earlier diagnosis in younger people and better adherence to therapy. Despite limited resources, the HLH shows that a model based on expertise, collaboration and a community approach can achieve results that have become a model for European practices. It is advisable that future channels involve systematic data collection, digital integration, ongoing education of health professionals, and the inclusion of these campaigns in the national strategy for the fight against chronic non-communicable diseases.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
338538
URI
Publication date:
27.10.2025.
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