Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Brankica Jankovic, sent a Recommendation to the Ministry of Health to review and analyze all the effects of the potential abolition of the Institute for Health Protection of Students in Serbia and its merging with health centers, after addressing of organizations that deal with protection of human rights. Such a solution is envisaged by the Draft Plan for Optimization of the Network of Health Care Institutions (Masterplan).

Approximately 250,000 students in Serbia are beneficiaries of the health services of this institute and Commissioner is convinced that there is a readiness to find the most efficient models and ways to provide young people with quality health care.

Jankovic also referred to domestic and international documents, including Security Council Resolution 2535 from last year, which called on all relevant actors to enable significant youth participation at all levels of decision-making, especially in decisions that pose public health challenges including a pandemic, as well as the Strategy for EU youth whose goal is to provide universal access to quality health care.

Having in mind the importance of systematically organized health care of a large student population in Serbia, Commissioner appeals to consider the consequences of the possible abolition of the institution, in cooperation with relevant actors, primarily students, and to arrange the network of health care institutions in accordance with user needs.