Bulgaria adopts national program to prevent chronic diseases

The Bulgarian government has adopted the National Program for the Prevention of Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases for the period 2026–2030. The strategic plan aims to improve public health by reducing morbidity, premature mortality, and the long-term consequences of major diseases.

The program targets a 1% to 5% reduction in mortality rates for ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by 2030. Additionally, the initiative seeks to decrease the prevalence of key risk factors among the population over age 15 by up to 5%. These risk factors include tobacco use, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, and obesity.

Developed in alignment with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the World Health Organization’s Global Strategy, and the European Regional Action Plan, the program responds to projections that annual deaths from non-communicable diseases could rise from 43 million to 50 million globally by 2030.