Health education: will the government rise to the occasion?

Health education and growing misinformation

In recent years, there has been an alarming increase in disinformation related to medicine, which significantly affects the health decisions of Poles. A particularly egregious example is the growing number of immunization evasions. According to the National Institute of Public Health, in 2019 there were 48,600 such cases, and by 2023 this number will have risen to 87,300. Such a dramatic increase is a consequence of the lack of effective educational measures and limited state response to the spread of anti-scientific content.

In an era of extreme misinformation in the medical field, it is necessary to create tools to combat this phenomenon.

Prevention better than cure

According to the OZZL Residents' Agreement, any form of preventive health care is more effective and less costly than treating later diseases and their complications. Establishing health-promoting attitudes as early as childhood helps avoid many health problems in adulthood.

Introducing health education as a compulsory subject gives students not only theoretical knowledge, but also practical tools to take care of their health and critically evaluate health information, which in the long run reduces the burden on the health care system.

A threat to the future of children and society

The OZZL Residents' Agreement expresses great concern over political proposals to make health education an optional subject. Such actions are perceived as subservience to anti-science circles and undermine the essence of preventive health care. Depriving some children of the opportunity to acquire reliable health knowledge is harmful and may have serious consequences in the future.

An appeal to those in power

Residents are calling on government representatives to introduce mandatory health education in schools.

Source: OZZL Residents' Agreement