The National Institute for Health Development is a government established research and development body collecting, connecting and providing reliable national information from a multitude of sources, related to the health of the Estonian population.
Our mission is to establish and share health related knowledge as well as to influence health behavior and determinants of health so as to increase the wellbeing of the people in Estonia and help them live longer and healthier lives.
We engage in public health related research and health promotion as well as development and implementation of disease prevention programmes and activities.
Our further responsibilities include the administration of Estonian national health statistics and five population based registers and databases.
Our main areas of activity:
- evaluation and assessment of population health and health determinants
- health promotion
- organization of public health services and social services
- consultations on and influence of health policy
Main activities in evaluation and assessment of population health and health-affecting factors:
- implementation of population health and health behavior related studies
- examination and assessment of risk groups
- studies of disease prevalence and factors affecting disease
- gathering of health and health care statistics
- population based registration of diseases and related database management
- performance assessment of various intervention activities
Main activities in health promotion:
- health marketing i.e. development of health related messages and interventions and delivering those to the target group so as to maintain and improve public health
- on-site health promotion and disease prevention in pre-school establishments, schools, work places and municipalities
- organization of health and social domain related trainings and continuing education courses
Main activities in organization of public health services and social services:
- prevention of HIV infection and drug addiction as well as related harm reduction
- treatment of and rehabilitation for addiction diseases
- development of health counseling services
- provision of support and self-support services
- implementation of cancer screening
- provision of tuberculosis treatment
- social welfare training courses
Main activities in consultations on and influence of health policy:
- provision of health related assessments and implementation of analysis
- planning of health affecting programmes and action plans
- provision of ethical assessment to health related research
- establishment and organization of medical terminology as well as related consultations
We implement studies and developmental activities within the framework of national and international programmes as well as on our own initiative. Cooperation with numerous research bodies and universities in Europe provides our research work with an international dimension.
National health programmes within the framework of which we organize health promotional activities include:
- HIV and AIDS prevention programme
- drug addiction prevention programme
- tuberculosis treatment and prevention programme
- cardiovascular disease prevention programme
- cancer prevention programme
So as to implement the above programmes, we engage in close cooperation with other government bodies, non-state organizations and the private sector.
The National Institute for Health Development is a cooperation partner in public health programmes and projects of the World Health Organization and the European Union.
In addition, the Institute is one of the founding members of the International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI).