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As many as 92 per cent of Poles are in favour of vaccination and only 4 per cent believe it is not advisable, a study by the Infection Prophylaxis Institute Foundation has found. Nonetheless, anti-vaccination movements have been gaining in popularity.

In autumn and winter we are often weak and susceptible to infections. In such situations, we do not always have to resort to antibiotics - we can benefit from natural remedies, well-known for generations, for the common cold. Herbs can also improve our natural immunity.

23 pairs, which makes a total of 46 - this is the normal number of chromosomes found in a cell. But Down-syndrome patients have 47 of them, as the 21st chromosome has three copies. This additional chromosome accounts for the person's characteristic look and intellectual disability.

Is it worth taking supplements? The Americans do not have any doubt - over 75 % of the population have been taking them for at least 10 years. However, the Americans are not a good example if it comes to the proper use of supplements – they use them too often and in too-high doses.

The Municipal Hospital of Ruda Śląska has managed to feed a 23-week premature baby whose mother abandoned it in the hospital. The baby was fed with milk from a human-milk bank.

Glaucoma is an eye condition which leads to a progressing and irreversible damage to the optic nerve, and when untreated – even to vision loss. That is why it is worth to take free of charge screening tests for glaucoma.

Rare diseases are not as rare as their name would suggest. It is possible that as many as 2 million people are suffering from them in Poland, as they affect about 6 percent of the population.

The child’s psychomotor development, speech development, the condition of the child’s teeth are the basic elements to be assessed by a doctor during a periodic medical check-up. It is the parents’ responsibility to ensure that the check-ups are carried out regularly.

Doctors have been trying to convince the public for many years that Caesarean childbirth means a greater risk for the health of the mother and her child than natural childbirth. Despite this fact the percentage of C-sections in Polish hospitals has been increasing with each year. Now it is 37 per cent.

The State Pharmaceutical Inspection and the Office of Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices and Biocidal Products are the institutions that ensure that the medicines sold in Poland are safe. Their tasks include the quality testing of products, storage conditions, and documentation.

The National Health Fund (NFZ) is an intermediate body between the patient and the State. It finances health services as part of the common health-insurance system, and deals with pricing and contracting services, while identifying their quality and availability.

We do not need additional insurance when we visit the Polish mountains – Poland is one of the few European countries offering free-of-charge rescue services. But when you travel abroad, you should buy insurance to avoid paying for a potential rescue mission.