site.btaHealth Ministry, UNICEF Discuss Future Collaboration on Child Health, Mental Well-Being

The Health Ministry and UNICEF will continue to work together on child health, the Ministry said on its website following a meeting between Health Minister Silvi Kirilov and Cristina de Bruin, the UNICEF Representative to the Republic of Bulgaria.

The two sides discussed the common priorities of the Health Ministry and UNICEF, with a primary focus on child health. Kirilov and De Bruin also explored other areas of cooperation, including health promotion and psychosocial support, the introduction of patronage care models within the healthcare system, as well as the planning and development of a roadmap for training specialists in early childhood development.

Other topics discussed included strengthening the capacity of medical and non-medical staff in comprehensive service centres for children with disabilities and chronic diseases, as well as in maternal and child health counselling centres. This would be achieved through training programmes on early identification of developmental issues in children and effective communication with parents, among others.

De Bruin highlighted the efforts made by the Health Ministry and the government to improve mental health and noted that UNICEF could support efforts to enhance access to psychosocial support for children and young people. To implement these initiatives, a new Two-Year Work Plan for the 2026-2027 period needs to be discussed and agreed upon, the Ministry further said.

On March 21, UNICEF Bulgaria and the Economic and Social Council signed a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation, reaffirming their commitment to improving the well-being of all children and young people in the country.