Local communities

• promoting a healthy lifestyle;
• having an impact on the psycho-physical development of children and young people active in sports, including those with disabilities;
• forming appropriate social habits and attitudes among the youngest athletes;
• supporting the development of sports for children and young people in smaller centers with limited access to financial resources;
• stimulating the movement of children whose normal physical development has been disrupted by the pandemic.

A total of 1,667 entities applied for the program, which ran until 30 June 2022. Ultimately, 351 of them received funding. In total, Dobra Drużyna PZU prevention program reached 45,000 children practising 43 sports across the country, primarily in smaller towns.

In addition, as part of the Dobra Drużyna program, a survey was conducted among parents and adolescents aged 16–18, which showed how the physical condition of children and adolescents has changed from their perspective after the pandemic*. It turned out that there was an epidemic of inactivity. Only half of Poland’s children spent their leisure time on physical activity. They spent 3 hours and 15 minutes of their free time per week on recreation. In physical education classes, they did not exercise because they felt discomfort. They stressed that they had inadequate physical condition. That’s why PZU, as a socially engaged company, has responded to this problem – by offering the best remedy – exercise, sports and contact with peers.

The communication strategy was to promote the Dobra Drużyna program as the „largest sports club” in Poland and to launch a prevention program and an open call for applications for 2022. This was accompanied by a campaign to promote the program. The goal of the campaign was to communicate the program’s recruitment and attract as many applications as possible, as well as to build awareness and information on a nationwide scale about the initiatives implemented by PZU.

* The survey was conducted among a representative sample of parents of children and adolescents and among young people in April 2022 by the PBS research agency. Interviews in the form of a survey conducted via the Internet (CAWI) with a sample of n = 1,250 interviews. Respondents: parents of children aged, 7–9 years n = 250, 10–12 years n = 250, 13–15 years n = 250, 16–18 years n = 250 and adolescents aged 16–18 years n = 250.

Under the prevention program, more than 351 entities have received funding, and more than 70,000 children have already been appointed to the Dobra Drużyna PZU. In addition, during the vacation season, PZU organized Dobre Kolonie (Good Summer Camps) – week-long integration and sports camps in the Mazury region for several hundred participants from Poland and Ukraine. The Good Summer Camps were guided by the motto of the Dobra Drużyna PZU (Good PZU Team) program – equality, integrity and team spirit of sports. Thanks to the program, PZU influences the sports development of children and young people, expands the educational and sports offer and thus creates the right conditions for sports, especially in centers with limited access to financial resources.

PZU has been conducting and supporting various health prevention campaigns for years as part of its prevention activities. In June 2022, under the honorary patronage of the Presidential Couple, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, the National Health Fund, the Ministry of State Assets and the Ministry of Education and Science, PZU conducted a nationwide health prevention campaign called Zdrowe Życie (Healthy Life). The campaign was also joined by the National Blood Donation Center, the Sanitary Inspectorate, the State Pharmacy Chamber and the National Security Office

The aim of the campaign was to emphasize the importance of prevention and encourage the public to pursue a healthy lifestyle and preventive examinations, which has taken on particular importance after the coronavirus pandemic.

The project was inaugurated on 3 June 2022 at the Presidential Palace. On that day, the first mobile health zone was opened, which then traveled across Poland, visiting 12 locations, covering more than 5,000 kilometers. On site, residents and tourists were able to consult specialists free of charge and perform a number of tests, including blood pressure measurement, ECG, spirometry, lung ultrasound and mammography. In total, more than 34,000 free examinations, consultations and medical services were provided in all cities where the mobile health zone prepared by PZU appeared. The zone made available blood donation bus of the National Blood Donation Center, providing the opportunity for honorary blood donations. At the co-organizers’ booths, it was also possible to make a card for EHIC health insurance recognized in the European Union, confirm a trusted profile and get a pharmaceutical consultation. Information about current prevention programs, treatment policies, and spa treatment options was also available on site.

The program was supported by an extensive communications campaign to build awareness of health prevention and encourage the use of mobile health zones. The leading medium of the campaign was the Internet, which allowed for precise outreach to specific target groups and nationwide outreach activities. High audience engagement was ensured by working with opinion leaders and social media. This was complemented by a campaign on local radio stations.

In 2022 – as part of its prevention efforts – PZU continued its commitment to producing the Zacznij od zdrowia (Start with Your Health) television program in cooperation with TVP 2. Broadcast again from October 2022 every Sunday, the program addresses the most important issues in health prevention, prompts viewers to change their attitudes, suggests how to take care of their health in a simple way, and points out the importance of regular examinations and an active lifestyle. Experts, including PZU Zdrowie physicians, answer questions about, for example, the state of health of Poles after the pandemic, insomnia, diabetes, obesity and depression. The program emphasizes the importance of physical activity in health prevention, with a particular focus on sports activities for children and young people.

PZU also responds to challenges related to the protection of mental health and finances a comprehensive educational and assistance Internet platform, operated by the Polish Suicidological Society, addressed to persons in suicidal crisis and their relatives and friends. The “Życie jest warte rozmowy” („Life is Worth Talking About”) platform is a service where free and anonymous help is provided to people in suicide crisis and their loved ones, as well as those who have lost a loved one in suicide crisis. It also serves broadly to educate the public and promote an up-to-date database of places with free specialized assistance available. A module of specialist on-line help is seen as very valuable and enjoys a lot of attention of the platform users. In 2022, it featured nearly 1,500 responses to the „write to a specialist” tab, and the site itself was visited by more than 257,000 people. The website still has a very low bounce rate. www.zwjr.pl

In cooperation with PZU Zdrowie and the Rakiety Oncological Foundation, PZU provides psychological support and professional help to families struck by trauma caused by an accident or cancer. In 2022, around 200 persons used the service. Depending on the individual needs, the crisis interventions could take up to a few meetings. Responding to the changing realities caused by the pandemic, PZU provides psychological and psycho-oncological consultations not only in face-to-face meetings, but also by phone or via other remote channels.

PZU Zdrowie undertakes a range of activities, both nationwide and locally, with the aim of improving Poles’ health, including: PZU Zdrowie’s corporate social responsibility activities have been described in industry reports, including a report prepared by the Responsible Business Forum, „Responsible Business in Poland. Good Practices” and in the UN Global Compact Network Poland publication „Green Hospitals”. PZU Zdrowie also conducts many activities aimed at promoting prevention and healthy lifestyles, such as:

• „Summer Senior Academy” – a series of 10 webinars on prevention in adulthood, conducted in cooperation with the National Institute of Silver Economy,
• The OK Senior Passport – a material supporting preventive care for seniors, distributed among senior institutions supported by the National Institute of Silver Economy and at PZU Zdrowie medical centers,
• „Siła KobieTy” [Women’s Strength] – a preventive action by „Dziennik Bałtycki” under the auspices of PZU Zdrowie – educational articles and an information campaign with an exhibition on women’s health,
• „Wstążka z wąsem” [Moustache Ribbon] – PZU Zdrowie educational webinar on cancer prevention for men and women,
• „Miasteczko Zdrowia” [Health Town] in Gdańsk and Wrocław – PZU Zdrowie field actions in cooperation with the Veritas Foundation, providing free medical services and advice,
• Senior Day in Gdańsk and Kielce – preventive actions carried out by PZU Zdrowie medical centers addressed to seniors,
• Day of Smile in Poznań – a preventive action carried out by PZU Zdrowie medical centers, addressed to children,
• “Wbiegnij na Varso Tower” [Run up Varso Tower] – towerrunning under the auspices of PZU Zdrowie to the highest building in the European Union (Varso Tower in Warsaw),
• “Międzypokoleniowy Marszobieg po Zdrowie” [Intergenerational March for Health] – run, whose partner was the PZU Zdrowie medical center in Kielce,
• Polish Cup in cross-country running in Cetniewo – run under the auspices of PZU Zdrowie,
• Further development of the PZU Zdrowie Guide blog „Health Guide” with articles on healthy lifestyles and selected medical issues.

PZU Zdrowie also gave patronage to and co-organized events supporting the development of Polish medicine and the healthcare system:

• Zdrowie w rozmowie” [Health in Conversation] in partnership with the AI in Health Coalition – a podcast series on medical innovation;
• „AI in Health” in cooperation with the Coalition in Health – a conference on the application of artificial intelligence in medicine,
• „Top Disruptors in Healthcare 2022,” in collaboration with the AI in Health Coalition, a report that inventories the Polish healthcare start-up market,
• “Supertalenty w medycynie” [Supertalents in Medicine] in cooperation with Puls Medycyny – a competition for physicians of the younger generation,
• “Plebiscyt Hipokrates” [Hippocrates Plebiscite] in cooperation with Polska Press – a competition for the bestrated physicians and medical centers,
• “Mother and Child Startup Challenge” in cooperation with the Mother and Child Institute – a competition for start-ups in the field of obstetrics and neonatology,
• “Złoty Skalpel” [Golden Scalpel], in cooperation with Puls Medycyny – a competition for scientists in the field of medical innovation,
• „Dziecięcy Szpital Przyszłości” [Children’s Hospital of the Future] in cooperation with the K.I.D.S. Foundation – a competition for innovative solutions in children’s hospitals,
• „Zdrowie Dzieci” [Children’s Health], in cooperation with the Medical University of Gdańsk – a conference on issues of child and adolescent health,
• “Polska w Europie” [Polish woman in Europe], in cooperation with the Association of Health Care Journalists – a training conference for medical staff;
• Partnership with the Student Government of Warsaw Medical University – publishing of the academic calendar; patronage of the 87th congress of the Commission for Higher Medical Education.

PZU Zdrowie was also the medical operator of the „Healthy Life” campaign organized by the PZU Group, the Ministry of Health and the National Health Fund, under the patronage of the Presidential Couple. During June–October 2022, 12 health zones were implemented, providing free medical services and advice to visitors.

PZU Zdrowie is also the sponsor of the onkorodzice.pl portal – it is a knowledge base on children’s cancers that may be accessed by both the parents of sick children and representatives of the medical community. It aims to facilitate the exchange of experiences with other parents who have found themselves in a similar situation and to provide support in many areas related to pediatric oncology.

PZU Zdrowie centers take part in the Prophylactics 40+ program, executed by the Ministry of Health. The purpose of the program is prevention of chronic diseases, whose diagnosis was more difficult due to limited access to medical tests and physician consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

PZU Zdrowie also conducts activities to support the Ukrainian community. Persons affected by the war in Ukraine can receive free-of-charge medical care in more than 50 PZU Zdrowie medical centers, implemented under the National Health Fund. PZU Zdrowie provides basic health care and specialist consultations, laboratory tests and diagnostic tests. A Ukrainian-speaking team has been established to serve patients on the PZU Zdrowie hotline. All citizens of Ukraine who hold a certificate issued by the Border Guard of the Republic of Poland or a stamp from the Border Guard of the Republic of Poland in their travel documents confirming their legal stay in the Republic of Poland upon crossing the border after 24 February 2022 in connection with the armed conflict in Ukraine can take advantage of this support. In addition, PZU Zdrowie provided surgical supplies to a hospital in Rivne, Ukraine, and local PZU Zdrowie facilities actively supported medics in Tomaszów Lubelski. PZU Zdrowie is also the operator of the NFZ’s Ukrainian-speaking information hotline „First Contact Center Platform.” The company also took part in the „Good Morning Ukraine” information fair in Kraków for Ukrainian refugees.