NIJZ

The Council of the National Institute of Public Health is the highest authority that oversees and directs its operations. It is composed of:

• Dr. Mitja Blaganje, representative of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and President of the NIJZ Council
• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Milena Kramar Zupan, representative of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia
• Jure Poglajen, representative of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia
• Vitomir Panič, representative of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia
• Mario Bartolac, representative of the insured
• Tanja Hodnik, representative of the users
• Asst. An Galičič, representative of the NIJZ employees and Vice-President of the NIJZ Council

General Director of the National Institute of Public Health:

Assist. Prof. Branko Gabrovec, PhD

Scientific Director of the National Institute of Public Health:

Prim. Prof. Ivan Eržen, PhD, MD, Spec.

National Institute of Public Health

Trubarjeva cesta 2

1000 Ljubljana

Telephone: +386 1 2441 400

Fax: +386 1 2441 447

E-mail: info@nijz.si

NIJZ is organized into a central unit and regional units, as well as the common services listed below.

Central Unit (Trubarjeva cesta 2, Ljubljana):

• Analysis and Health Development Centre
  • Department of Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries
  • Risky Behaviours Department
  • Department of Healthy Lifestyle Promotion
  • Department of Health Protection and Promotion Programmes Development

Head: Ada Hočevar Grom

• Communicable Diseases Centre
  • Department of Communicable Diseases Surveillance
  • Department of Infectious Disease Preparedness and Threats Response
  • Department of Vaccination
  • Department of Hospital Infections, HIV / STDs, Antibiotics Use and Antimicrobial Resistance
  • Department of Research and Development in the field of Communicable Diseases

Head: Marta Grgič Vitek, PhD, MD, Spec.

• Environmental Health Centre

Head: Nina Pirnat

• Healthcare System Centre

Head: Assist. Prof. Tit Albreht, PhD

• Prevention and Promotion Programmes Management Centre
  • Department of Integrated Prevention of Chronic Diseases in Adults
  • Department of Child and Adolescent Health

Head: Radivoje Pribaković Brinovec

• Healthcare Informatics Centre
  • eHealth Department
  • Department of Information’s System Development

Head: Hajdi Kosednar

• Health Data Centre
  • Department of Data Provision
  • Department of Methodology and National Statistics

Head: Metka Zaletel

• Mental Health Centre
  • Department of Mental Health
  • Department of National Mental Health Programme Management

Head: Matej Vinko

• Cancer Screening Centre
  • Svit Programme Department
  • Department of Laboratory Diagnostics

Head: Dominika Novak Mlakar, PhD

• Communications Centre
  • Department of External Communication
  • Department of Internal Communication
  • Department of Programme and Project Communication

Head: Mitja Vrdelja, PhD

• School of Public Health Centre

Head: Prim. Prof. Ivan Eržen, PhD, MD, Spec.

• Project Management and Research Service
• Vaccine Procurement Service
• Nongovernmental Organizations Service
• Emergency Operations Centre

Regional Units:

• Regional Unit Celje, Ipavčeva ulica 18, Celje
• Regional Unit Koper, Vojkovo nabrežje 4a, Koper
• Regional Unit Kranj, Gosposvetska ulica 12, Kranj
• Regional Unit Ljubljana, Zaloška cesta 29, Ljubljana
• Regional Unit Maribor, Prvomajska ulica 1, Maribor
• Regional Unit Murska Sobota, Ulica Arhitekta Novaka 2b, Murska Sobota
• Regional Unit Nova Gorica, Vipavska cesta 13, Rožna Dolina, Nova Gorica
• Regional Unit Novo mesto, Muzejska ulica 5, Novo mesto
• Regional Unit Ravne na Koroškem, Ob Suhi 5b, Ravne na Koroškem

Director’s Office (Trubarjeva cesta 2, Ljubljana):

• Economics Division
  • Finance and Accounting Service
  • Purchasing Service
• General Affairs Division
  • Legal Affairs Service
  • Human Resources Service
• Investment, Security and Maintenance Division
• ICT Support Division
• Scientific Advisory Board
• Council of NIJZ

VISION

NIJZ is a distinguished institute that has a significant impact on the health of the population and the development of the healthcare system in Slovenia.

The NIJZ is a key partner in health promotion and protection programmes and projects. It offers employment in a stimulating and pleasant working environment.

MISSION

The mission of the NIJZ (National Institute of Public Health) is to contribute to better health and well-being of the population of Slovenia. Together with its partners, NIJZ serves as a source of data and information that informs decision-making and action by individuals, professionals, and health policy. NIJZ identifies key public health challenges in the population, including determinants of health, and proposes actions to improve health.

The NIJZ monitors the healthcare system, provides analyses of the system’s performance, and proposes measures for greater accessibility and efficiency, as well as the development of priorities. The NIJZ identifies potential health threats, assesses risks, and prepares measures to protect and safeguard health. Through research and international cooperation, the NIJZ contributes to new knowledge and disseminates new understandings and best practices.

SLOGAN

Using knowledge to achieve better health.

NIJZ has a long-standing tradition, with its activities dating back to the beginning of the previous century. On July 16, 1923, the Institute of Hygiene was ceremonially opened in Ljubljana, with Dr. Ivo Pirc as its first director. Initially, the Institute’s activities were limited to researching drinking water and providing opinions on drinking water supply. Two years later, the Permanent Bacteriological Station in Ljubljana joined the Institute of Hygiene, creating a unified institution with three departments: the Bacteriological-Serological Department, the Water and Food Testing Department, and the Hygiene-Propaganda-Didactic Department. In 1926, the Maternal and Child Health Counselling Centre and the first Health Centre were established. Soon, the Institute expanded to include the investigation and control of infectious diseases, coordination of school medicine development, development of health centres, and the organization, establishment, and supervision of all hygiene institutions in the province.

During World War II, the Institute of Hygiene produced vaccines for the partisan medical service, as well as disinfectants, disinsectants, laboratory chemicals, and other medical supplies, and dispatched them from occupied Ljubljana.

After the war, the Institute of Hygiene split into the Bacteriological Epidemiological Institute (later the Microbiological Institute of the Faculty of Medicine), where the concept of the hygiene department was formed, and the Central Laboratory for Food, which was merged with the laboratory of the city market supervision. In 1951, the Central Hygiene Institute was established, with the following tasks: to study, protect, and improve the health of the population through preventive measures; to research and improve hygiene conditions in the country; to prevent, suppress, and research infectious diseases; to develop hygiene; to direct and supervise the work of hygiene institutions. The director of the Central Hygiene Institute also served as the republic’s sanitary inspector, and the Institute included Laboratory for Food Chemistry and City Microbiology Laboratory.

In 1974, the Law on the Institute of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia (SRS) for Health Care was adopted, and in 1985, the Institute of the SRS for Health Care merged with the Institute for Social Medicine to form the unified University Institute for Health and Social Care (UZZSV). In 1992, the Institute for Health Protection of the Republic of Slovenia was established by government decree.

In 2013, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted a Decision on the establishment of the National Institute of Public Health, which entered into force on 1 January 2014.