The President’s Spouse Sanja Musić Milanović Endorses “Red Dress Day” Public Health Campaign

The spouse of the President of the Republic and Head of the “Healthy Living” National Programme Prof. Sanja Musić Milanović, Ph. D., participated tonight in a ceremony celebrating the “Red Dress Day” public health and education campaign. The campaign aims to prevent and raise awareness of the specific risk factors of stroke among women, the disastrous consequences of neglecting stroke symptoms, and emphasize the need to change one’s lifestyle.

The “Red Dress Day” public health campaign was launched in the USA in 2002 and has been held in Croatia for several years. Thanks to the efforts of health workers who prepare and organize numerous expert and public health events in their communities through volunteer programmes, the “Red Dress Day” campaign has taken on a national character.

As in previous years, this year’s event is held under the auspices of the President of the Republic, Zoran Milanović, and is organized by the Croatian Medical Association, the Croatian Neurological Society, and the Croatian Society for Gender Differences in Neurology in cooperation with the City of Zagreb, the Zagreb School of Medicine, and the Andrija Štampar School of Public Health. The Ministry of Health is also a co-sponsor of the event.

In addition to Prof. Sanja Musić Milanović, also delivering remarks about stroke prevention among women were the member of the “Red Dress Day” Organizing Committee and President of the Croatian Society for Gender Differences in Neurology of the Croatian Medical Association Prof. Arijana Lovrenčić-Huzjan, Ph. D., President of the Croatian Medical Association Prof. Željko Krznarić, Ph. D., President of the Croatian Neurological Society Prof. Zdravka Poljaković, Ph. D., Member of the Croatian Parliament and delegate of the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament Branka Juričev-Martinčev, and Deputy Mayor of Zagreb Luka Korlaet. The addresses were followed by a fashion show featuring Croatian brands, showcasing garments worn by women who have recovered from a stroke.

The campaign’s symbol is the silhouette of a woman wearing a red dress, where the colour red signifies danger, a blood clot, as well as love and responsibility towards oneself and one’s health. Among other objectives, the campaign aims to educate about the symptoms of a stroke and the necessity for a prompt response, which can significantly reduce the mortality and consequences associated with a stroke.

PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Marko Beljan