Monika Patyna

Health policy programs (HPP) are since 2004 one of the available paths of implementing public health tasks by local government units (LGUs). The design, assessment, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of HPP is regulated by the Act on the provision of health services financed from public funds. In 2009 an obligation to receive opinions on HPP projects from the Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Tariffs (AOTMiT, agency) has been introduced. Considering the increasing trend of HPP projects numbers sent for opinionizing by the Agency, this form of healthrelated activity is more frequently and willingly chosen by local government units. The experience of both LGUs and the Agency related to previously executed HPP in Poland indicates, that despite statutory changes and attempts to clarify the entries regarding this form of public health tasks in Poland, questions and doubts regarding the design, assessment and implementation of HPP still occur. Another issue discussed by the experts is whether HPP should become a mandatory task of local governments or whether they only supplement the public health system. In addition, an important subject of discussion by public health experts concerns the evaluation of health policy programs. There is an emphasis on the importance of designing HPP in a way that ensures implementation and performing actions that bring long-term health effects in the population. It also seems important to support this form of local governments activity in both substantive and financial terms. The Agency is one of the institutions that has an important role to play in supporting local government units in developing HPP projects of the highest quality, which has a direct impact on their effectiveness, satisfying health needs and improving the health of the population.