In April, two lectures were given as part of the Preventive Medicine Forum.  Its organisers were the Academy of Medical Sciences and Croatian Medical Association. In the main hall of Croatian Medical Association, Assist. Prof. Dr Slobodan Lang presented a “Strategy of Preventive Medicine and Health Promotion in Croatia”. At the amphitheatre in Rockefellerova 2, Pr Vlasta Hrabak-Zerjavic, MD, MSc held a lecture on the topic of “Smoking or Health”.  Forum moderators were Assist Prof. Dr Slobodan Lang, deputy director for medicine and Slavko Sobot, ScD, head, Science Unit, CNIPH.

At Croatian Culture Home in Susak, the Rijeka affiliate of Croatian Medical Association and Primorsko-Goranska County Institute of Public Health organised a technical session on 7 April 2004 on the topic “Early detection of female breast cancer in Primorsko-Goranska County”.  Presented there were lectures “Breast cancer epidemiology” by Prof. Dr Marija Strnad, and “Diagnostic procedure for early detection of cancer” by Assistant Professor Damir Miletic, ScD.

CHRONIC MASS DISEASE EPIDEMIOLOGY DEPARTMENT
- Head, Pr Vlasta Hrabak-Zerjavic, MD, MSc

This year too Croatia joined the international Quit and Win competition against cigarette smoking.  It was organised by CNIPH under the auspices of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.  On WHO initiative, the biennal competition took place for the sixth time.  Its aim is to encourage smokers to make a decision to stop smoking, giving up a habit that is deleterious for health and to contribute in this way to the promotion of own health, as well as to the creation of a tobacco smoke-free environment. Whereas in 1994, the first Quit and Win competition assembled 60,000 participants from 13 countries, in 2002 it gathered 670,000 participants from 76 countries.  It is anticipated that about 1 million people from some 100 countries round the world would take part this year.  In all participant countries, one or more domestic prizes are awarded.  At the end of the competition, there is a drawing in all countries of potential winners to mark 31 May, the World Nonsmoking Day.  Prizes are allotted on receiving a positive statement from the participants and witnesses to the effect that the candidates had been refraining from smoking for the past four weeks.  If necessary, the statement can be verified by means of a corresponding test.  Every country in which a minimum of 100 participants have applied, acquires the right to participate in the international competition.  The International Grand Prize amounts to USD10,000. The European super prize is USD2,500.  In addition, prizes from local sponsors have been secured. Winner names will be drawn at the marking of 31 May, the World Nonsmoking Day,

Issue 26 of Croatian Cancer Bulletin with an article titled “Cancer Incidence in Croatia in 2001” has appeared.  The latest cancer incidence in Croatia by tumor site, sex and age can also be found on the Cancer Registry’s web page (within CNIP’s web page www.hzjz.hr).

SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICE
- Head, Pr Marina Kuzman, MD, ScD

In April, five 1-day educational seminars for physicians in school health services at public health institutes were held as part of CNIPH’s special programme called “Prevention of Violence among Children at School”.  Osijek, Rijeka, and Split had one seminar each, with two taking place in Zagreb.  Seminar attendance was rated with credits under the Medical Chamber’s Regulation.  Participants have received for their use educational materials and a CD with lectures.  In all, 153 physicians attended the seminars.  Besides the staff of School Health Service, several general practitioners, psychiatrists, and members of school professional teams attended motivated by personal interest.  Taking part in the realisation of the seminars apart from the staff of CNIPH’s School Health Service there were exhibitors and representatives from local county institutes, paediatric psychiatrists from the Rijeka Clinical Hospital Centre, Split Clinical Hospital Centre, Osijek Clinical Hospital and Rebro Clinical Hospital Centre.  They were also attended by representatives of the schools in which some of the violence prevention and control programmes were carried out. The subject being highly topical, evaluative rating showed doctors of the school health service to be especially also interested in the education provided in other areas of children’s and youth’s mental health.

ADDICTION PREVENTION SERVICE
- Acting head, Pr Marina Kuzman, MD, ScD

SOCIAL MEDICINE SERVICE
- Head, Urelija Rodin, MD, MSc

Organised by Matica Hrvatska, a scientific gathering on demographic and health problems of Croatian school system took place on 5-6 April 2004 in Zagreb.  Professionals from different domestic and foreign institutions took part in its activity.  Pr Urelija Rodin, MD, MSc lectured on “Causes of Morbidity and Mortality in Childhood”. In her speech, deputy premier and Ministry of Family, War Veterans and Intergenerational Solidarity minister Mrs. Jadranka Kosor emphasized that the government would take account of conclusions of this conference, other expert assessments and proposals for solving Croatia’s difficult demographic situation.

On the initiative of National Bureau of Statistics, Mr. Jean-Etienne Chapron, regional adviser on statistics, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and Mr. Gösta Guteland, senior advisor at Guteland Consulting, have visited CNIPH.  Within their working trip, the respected experts also visit collaborating institutions of the National Bureau of Statistics that carry out assignments in the purview of official statistics.  Attending the meeting at CNIPH on 21 April were Mr. Robert Knezevic, secretary of the National Bureau of Statistics director’s cabinet; director of CNIPH Marijan Erceg, MD, MSc; and Pr Vlasta Deckovic-Vukres. The collection method used in Croatia for health-statistical data was explained to the guests as were the operation of our registries, collaboration between and role of county public health institutes in collecting of statistical data, and the execution of ad hoc surveys.  Among the latter, the World Health Survey, whose carrier in Croatia is CNIPH, has aroused special interest in guests and so has the method of collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics, especially with regard to mortality statistics.  They also enquired about the method of Health Worker Registry operation and the type of data producible in this way.

The Sixth Symposium on Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Urogenital Infections – Slavko Schönwald’s Symposium with international participation took place in Opatija on 18-21 April 2004.  Sixteen CNIPH staff members as authors of 10 scientific and technical papers attended it.  Pr Ranko Stevanovic, MD, MSc and Dr Ivan Pristas from our Social Medicine Service have authored three papers: “Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Primary Health Care”, “Bacteriologic Diagnosis and Bacterial Susceptibility to Antibiotics in Urinary Infections”, and “Incidence, Diagnosis and Treatment of Urinary System Infections in Family Physician’s Clinics”.

With the paper “International Classification of Primary Health Care and Its Use in Croatian Health Insurance, Health Statistics and Medical Informatics”, Pr Ranko Stevanovic, MD, MSc took part in the Eleventh Family Medicine Congress on 29 April 2004 in Split.

MICROBIOLOGY SERVICE
- Head, Prof. Dr Gordana Mlinaric-Galinovic

At the Croatian Medical Society in Zagreb on 29-31 March 2004 a post-graduate course named “Respiratory infections: epidemiological and clinical pictures, diagnostics, therapy and prevention” was organised as part of the continuing first-class medical training by Medical School, Univerity of Zagreb; by Croatian National Institute of Public Health; and by Croatian Society of Medical Microbiology with Parasitology.  Course leaders were Prof. Dr Gordana Mlinaric-Galinovic, Prof. Dr Ira Margan, Dr Vera Katalinic-Jankovic and Dr Tatjana Vilibic-Cavlek.  As secretaries, there attended Dr Mario Sviben and Mr Zoran Dezelic, the administrative secretary.  Eleven lecturers from CNIPH (7 from the Microbiology Service, 3 from the Epidemiology Service and 1 from the Social Medicine Service) gave presentations on the following subjects: “S. pneumoniae: Diagnostics and Epidemiology” (A. Babic-Erceg, MD, ScD); “The Role of Laboratories in the Diagnosis and Control of Tuberculosis” (Dr Vera Katalinic-Jankovic); “Viral Infections of the Respiratory System” and “Virologic Diagnosis of Respiratory Infections” (Prof. Dr G. Mlinaric-Galinovic); “Influenza in Croatia” (Dr V. Drazenovic); “Atypical Pneumonias” (Dr T. Vilibic-Cavlek); “Molecular Diagnostic Methods for Gene Type of M. tuberculosis” (M. Obrovac, Med Biochem E); “Fungal Infections of the Respiratory System” (E. Mlinaric-Missoni, MD, ScD); “Epidemiology of Tuberculosis and Interventions” (Dr A. Simunovic); “Legionellosis in Croatia” (Prof. Dr I. Gjenero-Margan); “Preventing Respiratory Infections with Immunisation” (Pr B. Kaic, MD, MSc); “Public Health Importance of Respiratory Infections” (Pr M. Kuzman, MD, ScD).  The Course took the form of lectures, practice and small group activity. The practical was held at Croatian National Institute of Public Health, Zagreb Institute of Public Health and at the Polyclinic for Respiratory System Diseases.  Ninety-four course-takers with different specialty backgrounds (microbiology, epidemiology, pulmonology, paediatrics, family medicine) were involved.   The focus of the Course was on the epidemiology of different subtypes of causative agents of respiratory infection, precise aetiologic diagnostics and specific therapy linked with the causative agent resistance to antimicrobials, on an understanding of the immune response to these causative agents and on immunoprophylaxis.  Course takers have rated the Course very good, which is very significant given that it is the first course of this type organised by CNIPH.

HEALTH ECOLOGY SERVICE
Head, Krunoslav Capak, MD, MSc

On 14-16 April 2004, the 30^th Symposium of Health Ecologists with international participation took place in Zagreb.  It was organised by CNIPH and Medical Ecology Chapter of the Croatian Pharmaceutical Society under the auspices of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. The main subject of the Symposium was “Ecology – Croatia – Europe”. It assembled about 190 conferees from public health institutes, Ministry of Health, Faculty of Nutrition and Biotechnology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, food industries, pharmaceutical firms, wholesale pharmacies etc. The guest speakers were from Slovenia, from the National Institute of Public Health of Slovenia and from their Republican Sanitary Inspectorate.  The conferees were greeted by deputy minister of health for sanitary inspection, deputy head of health of the City of Zagreb on the part of the mayoress of Zagreb, and by deputy head for health of the Zagreb County, representatives of CNIPH, representatives of Croatian Pharmaceutical Society, and by chair of Medical Ecology Chapter, Croatian Medical Association.  The technical segment of the Symposium consisted of a large number of works (oral presentations and posters).  From among a number of interesting lectures, we would single out those dealing with the need to harmonise systems, i.e., our legislation with that of EU in the areas of ecology, laboratory accreditation, Slovenia’s reorganisation of public health institutes because of their joining the EU membership, as well as Croatian rapid information system.  During the Symposium, there was a standing exhibition, in a separate room, of laboratory equipment.  On the last day of the Symposium, an excursion (sightseeing castles in the Hrvatsko Zagorje region) was organised.  To judge from oral comments from participants during, as well as from written messages immediately after the Symposium, the Organising Committee has accomplished its task very efficiently.
Vjera Haberle, MSc, Chair, Health Ecology Chapter, Croatian Pharmaceutical Society