Bulgaria reports a sustainable trend towards a decrease in child mortality, but the indicator remains higher than the average for the European Union, writes BGNES, citing the Ministry of Health.
The document presents an up-to-date analysis of the state of child and maternal health, neonatal care and current health policies. It emphasizes that the system has regulatory mechanisms for prevention, treatment, dispensary surveillance and quality control, applying national strategies and standards in the field of pediatrics and neonatology.
The Minister of Health Katya Ivkova states:
„The Minister of Health has the obligation to present data on the state of health of citizens in the country every year. The annual health report analyzes the health status of the population, the achieved levels of indicators characterizing this status, as well as the activities carried out and the funds spent to implement the main goals and objectives in the field of healthcare.
As part of the report, an analysis of the dynamics of key indicators for the needs of monitoring the National Health Strategy 2030, the National Strategy for Child and Adolescent Health and Pediatric Care 2030, as well as the National Strategy for Mental Health of Citizens of the Republic of Bulgaria 2021-2030 is presented.“
According to data cited by the Ministry of Health, the infant mortality rate in 2024 is 4.5‰, compared to 4.9‰ for 2023, 5‰ for 2021 and 6.6‰ for 2015. Despite the reported decline, Bulgaria remains above the EU average, which is 3.3‰. The ministry notes that this indicator is related not only to the quality of medical care, but also to factors such as living standards and health culture.
The analysis indicates that the largest share of deaths in children under 1 year old are due to conditions occurring in the perinatal period (50.4%), followed by congenital anomalies (16.8%), diseases of the respiratory system (13.5%), symptoms and deviations not classified elsewhere (6.8%) and diseases of the circulatory system (3.8%).
The ministry emphasizes that preventive examinations of children are regulated by regulation and are carried out regularly, and for the youngest - up to 1 year - they are monthly. The activities are carried out through the program “Children's Health“ of the NHIF by general practitioners and pediatricians, and if necessary, children are referred for additional examinations, specialists or hospital treatment.
In hospital care, diagnosis and treatment are carried out according to clinical pathways and established algorithms, and dispensary monitoring guarantees monitoring of diseases in children. The control over the quality of medical care is carried out by the Executive Agency “Medical Supervision“.
The response also emphasizes that the standards for neonatology and pediatrics determine the minimum requirements for equipment, staffing and organization of medical care, and medical institutions are subject to strict control and licensing.
“Control over the implementation of regulatory requirements when providing medical care, including to children, is exercised by the Executive Agency “Medical Supervision“, which carries out scheduled and extraordinary inspections, analyzes the quality of medical services and prepares annual reports to the Minister of Health“, it is also stated.
The Ministry of Health adds that additional measures are also being implemented through national programs and targeted funding to modernize the equipment in medical institutions, with an emphasis on improving maternal and child care health.
“Implementing sustainable health policies to improve maternal and child health is a state priority. The emphasis is on measures to ensure quality health care, prevention, early intervention and raising awareness about health risks in children and adolescents“, the minister said.
The ministry emphasizes that the results of the measures taken are long-term, and the health care system continues to develop through regulatory standards, strategic documents and control mechanisms aimed at improving the quality of medical care.