Before 1944, Bulgaria faced severe public health problems that affected the majority of its population. Tuberculosis was a major concern, with about 90,000 people suffering from the disease each year, and more than 15,000 dying annually. Unfortunately, only around 15 percent of tuberculosis patients were under medical supervision. Other infectious diseases, such as typhus, typhoid fever, and scarlet fever, were common and frequently caused outbreaks. Malaria was also widespread; in 1944, nearly 28 percent of the population suffered from the disease Expansion of Medical Education.
Child health was particularly poor, with an infant mortality rate of 139.2 per 1,000 live births, one of the highest in Europe at the time. The average life expectancy was only 52–53 years. Poor living conditions, lack of hygiene, limited access to medical care, and insufficient public health measures contributed significantly to these alarming statistics.
The Socialist Revolution and the Beginning of a New Era
The Socialist Revolution on September 9, 1944, marked the start of a new period in Bulgaria’s history. For the first time, the country established a Ministry of Public Health. In its first program, announced on September 17, 1944, the People’s Government addressed not only public health but also broader social and economic issues. The program emphasized improving the living standards and health culture of the population, sanitation of homes and workplaces, and modernization of public services Sofia Tours.
This program created the foundation for a unified, publicly accessible health system, ensuring medical care for all citizens. The government immediately prioritized several issues: reducing infant mortality, improving maternal care, controlling tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, and improving hygiene in settlements, factories, schools, and homes. Special attention was also given to the health of the younger generation, highlighting the link between social reforms and public health.
The First Public Health Plan
In 1945, Bulgaria adopted its first plan for the development of the public health system. This plan integrated previously fragmented health services, eliminating the administrative confusion caused by multiple private, municipal, and charitable providers. Health measures were now aligned with the government’s political, social, economic, and cultural policies.
The new health legislation had a clear medical and social purpose. It focused on key areas such as tuberculosis control, rural health care, the organization of outpatient facilities, maternal and child health protection, and the management of infectious diseases. By linking health initiatives to broader social reforms, the government aimed to systematically improve the health of the population and address the most urgent medical and social challenges of the time.
The years before 1944 were marked by poor public health conditions, widespread infectious diseases, and high mortality rates. The Socialist Revolution transformed this situation by establishing a national health system, integrating medical services, and setting clear priorities for disease control, maternal and child health, and sanitation. These reforms laid the foundation for a comprehensive, organized, and universally accessible healthcare system in Bulgaria, marking the beginning of a new era in public health.
