Development Of Public Health Protection And Control Activities In Bulgaria

Abstract

Organized efforts in the field of public healthcare in Bulgaria have undergone a long and multifaceted development process. The first state measures for rapid healthcare organization in Bulgaria were introduced immediately after the Liberation in 1878.
The аim of the study is to provide a retrospective analysis of the activities for public health (PH) protection and control in Bulgaria and to review the current institutions from 1878 to the present day. A review and selection of historical normative documents was carried out, following the development of activities in seven consecutive periods of the history of Bulgaria, related to the stages of socioeconomic and legislative changes in the state structure and governance.
The initial stages are marked by the establishment of sanitation and hygiene practices, the regulation of foundational principles, the creation of the first central and regional institutions, and the appointment of trained medical specialists. The third and fourth stages encompass the military and postwar recovery of the country`s healthcare sector, reflecting legislative and administrative reforms undertaken for this purpose. Significant progress occurred during the sixth stage, post-1950, when the structural and normative framework of state health control in Bulgaria was solidified. After 1990, the final stage of democratic healthcare development saw structural transformations, characteristic of other Eastern European countries transitioning toward decentralizing their health control systems.
The retrospective analysis highlights the evolution of measures, structures, guidelines, and normative documents, enabling more effective responses to wars, crises, and epidemics, while primarily ensuring the protection of public health and lives.