“5 Minutes for HEALTH” begins campaign with free screenings through telemedicine

The goal of the initiative is to prevent lung cancer and smoking.

Free screenings of basic health indicators and lung function will be conducted with the help of telemedicine at the beginning of the summer. These screenings are part of the “5 Minutes for HEALTH” campaign, organized by the regional health inspectorates (RHI) and the Digital Health and Innovation Cluster Bulgaria (DHI Cluster Bulgaria), in partnership with the Association “Air for Health”, Hubis, and the pharmaceutical biotechnology company Roche Bulgaria.

On June 13th (Thursday) from 11:00 to 15:00 at Mall Pleven, and on July 16th (Sunday) from 11:00 to 15:00 at Dondoukov Garden in Plovdiv, anyone interested can undergo their free screenings.

The initiative, which will be held in 8 more cities across the country by the end of the year, aims to prevent lung cancer and smoking.

In just 5 minutes, while sitting in a special chair, anyone can have a high-tech examination. The telemedicine station can simultaneously examine 10 vital parameters of the human body, providing an indication of changes in the health status of each individual. Parameters such as height, weight, body mass index, blood sugar, lung function (spirometry), temperature, blood pressure, ECG, heart rate, and oxygen saturation will be recorded. The results will be discussed by a pulmonologist, and information about prevention for lung cancer and smoking will be provided. The same results will be immediately displayed on the screen and can be sent via email for further consultation with a doctor.

According to her, the innovative “5 Minutes for Health” campaign is another way for society to take advantage of and learn about the possibilities of telemedicine for ongoing medical care, effective prevention, diagnosis, and personalized treatment approaches for patients.

Lung cancer is the most common type of cancer in the world. Every year, more people die from this disease than from breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and prostate cancer combined. Globally, 1.59 million people die from the disease, and 2.2 million people are diagnosed annually, accounting for 11.4% of all cancer cases. Data shows that 64% of diagnosed cases are in advanced stages. In Bulgaria, the number of newly diagnosed cases of lung cancer in 2021 was 2,527. One of the risk factors for developing the cancer is smoking, which is associated with approximately 80% of all diagnosed cases. Other risk factors include environmental and air pollution, exposure to radon and asbestos, and existing lung diseases, such as pulmonary tuberculosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.