Marek Augustyn, Vice President of the National Health Fund: "Prevention saves lives" – how the National Health Fund reaches those who avoid doctors
The National Health Fund (NFZ) is intensifying its preventive healthcare efforts. As Marek Augustyn, Vice President of the National Health Fund, emphasized in an interview with politykazdrowia.com, the number of Poles participating in preventive healthcare programs is growing, and modern forms of outreach – from mobile points to campaigns at beaches and festivals – effectively encourage screening. "We have introduced incentive bonuses for primary care clinics, which will cover a significant portion of their patients with screening tests," says President Augustyn. He also announces further investments, new programs, and close cooperation with the new Ministry of Health.
According to Marek Augustyn, vice-president of the National Health Fund , the preventive measures taken by the National Health Fund are bringing increasingly better results.
"Analyzing the available data and growing patient interest, we can clearly state that the direction we've chosen is yielding tangible results. We're seeing a systematic increase in the use of National Health Fund (NFZ) educational tools and—most importantly—an increase in the number of people participating in NFZ- funded preventive programs," he emphasizes.
Since the beginning of 2025, the Fund's provincial branches have organized approximately 2,000 events promoting prevention, providing nearly 150,000 pieces of advice and information . According to the vice president, although attendance could be higher, the trend is clearly positive .
The National Health Fund has been implementing prevention in public spaces for years – in shopping malls, stadiums, festivals and beaches.
We show up where our patients are – on days off: at stadiums, shopping malls, festivals, schools, kindergartens, small municipalities, and even on beaches , says Marek Augustyn.
During the Pol'and'Rock Festival, over 800 tests were performed, 400 medical consultations were provided, and 2,000 measurements were taken. At the Children's Health Land in Opole, 3,000 children benefited from specialist advice . Events such as "Take Your Heart for a Walk" and activities at St. Dominic's Fair demonstrate that the National Health Fund's preventative healthcare programs effectively reach people who rarely visit a doctor's office.
The Fund increases the availability of tests, especially for vulnerable groups.
We are expanding both the scope and form of our preventive measures. The age range for participation in breast and cervical cancer screening programs has been expanded. We have introduced incentive bonuses for primary care clinics that will cover a significant portion of their patients with screening tests ," explains the vice president of the National Health Fund.
New features include central e-registration and universal access to the prenatal screening program. An HPV-HR test with liquid-based cytology has also been introduced, in line with EU recommendations, improving the effectiveness of cervical cancer detection.
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From September 2025, a new subject will be introduced in Polish schools – health education .
We offer schools access to the expertise of our prevention advisors and digital educational materials from the National Health Fund . We're planning a special prevention campaign for students in October, announces Marek Augustyn.
Such activities are intended to teach health care from an early age, while at the same time increasing the detection of diseases at an early stage.
The National Health Fund works closely with the Ministry of Health to implement nationwide campaigns – from Women's Health Month to Project Beach. The Fund also supports approximately 100 health policy programs implemented by local governments , including prevention of type 2 diabetes , heart disease, and cancer .
The National Health Fund also has a Patient Organization Forum , currently comprising 31 organizations . We organize regular meetings to discuss the challenges facing the healthcare system and collaborate on solutions," notes the vice president.
The National Health Fund will allocate nearly PLN 600 million for preventive programs in 2025 – over 19 percent more than a year earlier . A further increase of approximately 10 percent is planned for 2026.
This trend shows that prevention remains one of our priorities – concludes Marek Augustyn.
The goal of the National Health Fund is to increase the percentage of the population covered by screening tests , especially in the field of cancer prevention, and to further develop coordinated care in order to improve the quality and efficiency of the healthcare system in Poland.
Updated: 13/08/2025 06:30
politykazdrowotna
