Due to the unfavorable epidemic situation around the world, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy initiates the development of the Healthy Nation program, which will contain practical recommendations for citizens to promote health, prevent diseases and overcome their consequences so that people are not left alone with the illnesses, in particular caused by coronavirus. This was discussed at a conference call chaired by the President.
According to the Head of State, the pandemic has shown that people who have strong immunity, exercise regularly, have a milder course of coronavirus disease and recover faster. Therefore, the emphasis should be placed on prevention, not just treatment.
"When a person gets infected with COVID-19, doctors prescribe prophylactic drugs of various kinds. We are talking now about the patient's condition when it is not a question of compulsory hospital treatment and the use of antibiotics. That is, in most cases, COVID-19 requires self-isolation and prophylactic drugs that maintain normal health conditions," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Therefore, according to the President, it is necessary for a person to know how to strengthen the body before infection so that it is ready to fight the virus.
In this regard, it was proposed to create the Healthy Nation program, which provides citizens with information about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, regular exercise and training, as well as the “Health Basket" - a list of vitamins needed to maintain a healthy body, strengthen the immune system, etc.
"It's time to exercise, drink vitamins. This is the time when it is possible to make such a sports health program for the nation, to improve the health of the nation," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
It is necessary to improve the conditions for doing sports separately, the Head of State stressed.
In response, Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak offered to include athletes who got infected with COVID-19 in the program so that they could tell people about their experience in fighting the disease.
"COVID-19 tells us that the national idea is a healthy nation. Current time can unite people in the west and the east. Today, the problem of COVID-19, the problem of health is a priority for everyone. Therefore, today, at this time, people who are leaders, athletes who have passed the tests, they could give hope, tell specific recommendations," the Head of the Office of the President said.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal supported the idea of creating a Healthy Nation program. Representatives of the Office of the President and the Cabinet of Ministers will soon work out a plan for the development and implementation of the program.