OREANDA-NEWS. March 05, 2012. A meeting with representatives of the National Health Center of North Carelia (Finland) took place on March, 1 in the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Republic of Karelia. Andrei Mikhailov, Head of the Directorate for Medical Relief, Tiina Vlasoff, coordinator of frontier cooperation, Professor Kerttu Tossavainen of the University of Eastern Finland took part in it.

The subject was discussion of the application within the project Influence on Distinctions in Levels of Health of Children and Teenagers between two Karelias. Project proposals were made by Evgeny Tuchin, Chief of the Medical Relief Department of the Ministry, Olga Bilko, Physician-in-Chief of Municipal Polyclinic N4 of Petrozavodsk, Irina Zdorova, Head of the Health Center of the Polyclinic N4.

The overarching goal of the project is to contribute to wellbeing of chilldren and teenagers through development of new forms of formation of healthy lifestyle in North Carelia and in the Republic of Karelia. Within the framework of the project the major risk factors relating to behavioural habits and lifestyles of children and teenagers will be defined, the action program will be drawn up, the personnel of pilot schools will be trained, and the volunteer movement will be organized. It is supposed to set up a website to be used in formation of healthy lifestyle and providing reliable and topical information regarding health hazards. The project will be implemented in 2013-2014.