Institutions and Structures Outside the National Health System Related to the Protection of Public Health in Bulgaria

The state's responsibility to protect public health (PH) requires policymakers in all sectors to assess and anticipate the impacts of their policies on people's health. In Bulgaria, the state health policy is guided and implemented by the Council of Ministers, as it encompasses structures from various ministries. The а im of the study is to provide an overview and analysis of the various structures outside the National Health System, which directly or indirectly carry out control activities and provide services for the prevention and protection of public health at the national, regional, and local levels. Materials and М ethods : A documentary method was used to analyze the legal framework in the country regarding the activities of institutions and organizations engaged in the protection, strengthening, and control of public health. For each institution, the study briefly presents the most recent historical developments, organizational structure, and scope of main functions. Results and Discussion : The analysis includes institutions and organizations under the Ministries of: Agriculture and Food, Environment and Water, Labor and Social Policy, Regional Development and Public Works, as well as the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Economy, and Ministry of Defense. The results show that a wide network of institutions outside the National Health System has been established in Bulgaria, conducting control and preventive activities related to the protection and preservation of public health at the national and regional levels. However, there is still relatively weak participation of non-governmental and municipal structures and organizations directly addressing public health issues at the local level. Furthermore, there is a lack of information and evaluation regarding the quality and effectiveness of inter-sectoral interaction and cooperation among individual structures, as well as their coordination in solving complex cases and issues related to the protection of the population`s health.