Croatian Institute of Public Health

What Croatian Institute of Public Health does

The Croatian Institute of Public Health (Hrvatski zavod za javno zdravstvo, HZJZ), headquartered in Zagreb at Rockefellerova 7, is the central public health institution of the Republic of Croatia and operates under the Croatian Ministry of Health. It maintains national disease registries — the Cancer Registry (population-based since 1959, electronic since 1968), the Communicable Disease Registry, CroDiab diabetes registry, and the Mortality Statistics system (ICD-10 classification) — and runs organized population-based screening programs for breast, colorectal, and cervical cancer, executing approximately 150,000 mammographic examinations annually with a 70% participation rate and detecting roughly 8,300 breast carcinomas across the first six screening cycles. It also delivers vaccination programs (HPV, influenza, COVID-19, pneumococcal, travel), accredited microbiology and toxicology laboratory services (ISO/IEC 17025:2007), food and water safety testing, mental health and nutrition counselling, anti-doping testing, and a gambling self-exclusion registry, serving the entire Croatian population.

Its core technology stack is the Nacionalni javnozdravstveni informacijski sustav (NAJS), which since 2017 has ingested hospital reports and since 2023 also primary healthcare reports electronically, and the Croatian Health Data Centre (CHDC), a centralized health data platform under development. ZdrAVKA, an AI health assistant chatbot launched in 2025, provides automated text-based responses to citizen health queries. The institute is internationally networked as a full member of the International Association of Cancer Registries (IACR) and the European Network of Cancer Registries (ENCR) since 1994, contributes to the European Cancer Information System (ECIS), and participates in EU joint actions including CancerWatch (kick-off September 2025), SUCCESS, HERA 2, JA PreventNCD, and EU-WISH.

The institute does not operate a commercial revenue model. Services such as vaccination, screening, sanitary inspections, microbiological testing, and counselling are delivered as public health services funded through the Croatian state budget and supplemented by EU project funding. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and the organization reports no external shareholders, private equity, or venture investors. Distribution is purely domestic, executed directly by HZJZ facilities, county public health institutes across Croatia, and active invitation systems for screening programs. As a government state entity, HZJZ is governed by public-health statutes rather than market competition, with a small management team comprising department heads for cancer, mortality statistics, screening programs, and EU project coordination.

Name

Croatian Institute of Public Health

Legal name

Hrvatski zavod za javno zdravstvo

Website

https://hzjz.hr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1893

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ) is the Croatian Ministry of Health's central public health institute, headquartered in Zagreb, operating national disease registries, population-based cancer screening, accredited laboratories, vaccination programmes, and the NAJS health information system for the Croatian population.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Health Services

NAICS

Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (6215), Medical Laboratories (621511), Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (62151), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Services-Medical Laboratories (8071), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Health Policy, Planning & Governance (BPAIAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health Data, Vital Statistics & Population Health Informatics (BPAIAJAM), Data Governance, Standards & Interoperability (ICD, HL7/FHIR, LOINC, SNOMED) (HLAJAJAM), Microbiology & Infectious Disease Testing (Trial Support) (HLAGAEAF), Laboratory Informatics & Reporting (LIMS/ELR) Public Health Networks (HLAJAIAN), Travel, Border Health & Quarantine Surveillance (HLAJABAL)

Keywords

• Public health services
• Disease surveillance
• Cancer screening programs
• Vaccination programs
• Health registry databases

Headquarters

HQ city

Zagreb

HQ country

Croatia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ) is the central public health institution in Croatia, providing disease surveillance, health statistics, national cancer screening programs (breast, colorectal, cervical), accredited laboratory diagnostic services (microbiology, toxicology, food/water testing), vaccination programs, anti-doping services, and health counseling services. The institute operates national disease registries (cancer, communicable diseases, diabetes, mortality) and manages the National Public Health Information System (NAJS) for electronic health data reporting across Croatia's healthcare system.

Product overview

The Croatian Institute of Public Health (Hrvatski zavod za javno zdravstvo, HZJZ) is Croatia's central public health institution providing a comprehensive portfolio of public health services rather than a commercial product portfolio. The offering consists of: national disease registries (Cancer Registry since 1959, diabetes, cardiovascular, mortality); organized population-based cancer screening programs (breast cancer via mammography, colorectal cancer, cervical cancer); laboratory diagnostic services (microbiology, toxicology, food/water testing) accredited to ISO/IEC 17025; health counseling services (mental health, nutrition); vaccination programs; anti-doping services; and health information systems (NAJS for disease reporting, CHDC for centralized health data). The institute also operates ZdrAVKA, an AI-powered health assistant chatbot. HZJZ participates in EU joint actions (CancerWatch, SUCCESS, HERA 2, JA PreventNCD) for collaborative public health improvements across Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Registar za rak Republike Hrvatske (Cancer Registry of Croatia) National population-based cancer registry established in 1959, tracking all cancer cases in Croatia. Data is processed electronically since 1968 and published in international publications. Covers the entire Croatian population.
• Nacionalni program ranog otkrivanja raka dojke (National Breast Cancer Early Detection Program) Organized population-based screening program for breast cancer covering women aged 49-70. Uses mammography as primary screening method with active invitation system and follow-up care coordination.
• Nacionalni program ranog otkrivanja raka debelog crijeva (National Colorectal Cancer Early Detection Program) National screening program for colorectal cancer using stool testing methods. Part of organized population-based screening with defined target populations and follow-up protocols.
• Nacionalni program ranog otkrivanja raka vrata maternice (National Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program) National screening program for cervical cancer with population-based organization and quality assurance. Follows EU guidelines for screening and diagnosis quality.
• Nacionalni javnozdravstveni informacijski sustav (NAJS) - National Public Health Information System National public health information system enabling electronic data exchange between hospital systems and primary healthcare for disease reporting and surveillance across Croatia.
• ZdrAVKA – AI zdravstveni asistent (AI Health Assistant) AI-powered conversational assistant providing automated responses to citizen health inquiries on the HZJZ website using natural language processing.
• Program cijepljenja (Vaccination Program) Comprehensive vaccination program covering routine immunizations, travel vaccines, and pandemic vaccination campaigns including HPV, flu, COVID-19, and pneumococcal vaccines.
• Mikrobiološke usluge (Microbiological Services) Accredited laboratory services including bacteriology, virology, molecular diagnostics, parasitology, mycology, genomics, and bioinformatics for clinical and environmental testing.
• Služba za antidoping (Anti-Doping Service) Anti-doping control services for athletes including testing, prohibited substances lists, and athlete whereabouts management.
• Služba za toksikologiju (Toxicology Service) Toxicology laboratory and advisory services including chemical safety training, chemical registry management, and poison centre notifications (PCN).
• Savjetovalište za mentalno zdravlje (Mental Health Counseling) Mental health counseling services providing psychoeducation, psychological first aid, brief counseling interventions, risk assessment, and care planning for citizens.
• Savjetovalište za pravilnu prehranu i tjelesnu aktivnost (Nutrition and Physical Activity Counseling) Nutritional counseling services promoting healthy eating habits and physical activity for citizens.
• Ispitivanje zdravstvene ispravnosti hrane i vode (Food and Water Safety Testing) Testing and certification services for food safety, drinking water quality, and general consumer products compliance, accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2007.
• Registar zaraznih bolesti (Communicable Disease Registry) National database monitoring communicable disease incidence with reporting from all healthcare providers across Croatia.
• CroDiab registar (Croatian Diabetes Registry) National diabetes registry tracking diabetes prevalence, complications, and treatment outcomes across Croatia.
• Statistika mortaliteta (Mortality Statistics) Comprehensive mortality statistics database with annual reports on causes of death, developed with WHO standards and ICD-10 classification.
• Biološka kontrola sterilizacije (Biological Sterilization Control) Biological sterilization control service using biological spores for verification of sterilization processes in healthcare facilities.
• Tečaj higijenskog minimuna (Hygiene Minimum Course) Regulatory course for persons handling food and other at-risk activities, regulated by the Act on Protection of Population from Communicable Diseases.
• Nacionalni registar pružatelja zdravstvene zaštite (National Registry of Healthcare Providers) National registry of healthcare providers managing human and material resources within Croatia's healthcare system.
• Savjetovalište za promicanje spolnog zdravlja (Sexual Health Counseling) Sexual health counseling services for HIV and sexually transmitted disease prevention, promoting responsible sexual behavior.
• Registar isključenih igrača (Self-Exclusion Registry) Registry for individuals excluded from gambling, managed by HZJZ with application procedures for self-exclusion.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 90% of breast cancer patients can be cured if diagnosed in early stage with 96% five-year survival rate
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CancerWatch Joint ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 September 2025New Joint Action for improving cancer data quality in the European Union. Kick-off meeting held in Oslo from September 22-24, 2025. Croatian Cancer Registry participates in this EU-wide initiative.
• European Cancer Information System (ECIS)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2018Croatian cancer incidence and mortality data from 2001-2022 are available on the ECIS platform, providing European-level cancer statistics and comparisons.
• MB PHARE 2006 ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006EU pre-accession project for improving quality of cause of death statistics. Project duration from January 2009 to July 2010. Collaboration with Ministry of Health, Croatian Bureau of Statistics, and medical faculties.
• International Association of Cancer Registries (IACR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1994Full member since 1994. IACR is headquartered in Lyon, France. The Cancer Registry of Croatia participates in international cancer surveillance and data sharing through this membership.
• European Network of Cancer Registries (ENCR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1994Full member since 1994. ENCR is headquartered at the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission in Ispra, Italy. Croatia's cancer data is submitted to and published through this European network.
• SUCCESS ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU-funded project for strengthening and upgrading Croatia's communicable disease surveillance system.
• HERA 2 ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority project for health emergency readiness.
• JA PreventNCD - Joint Action Prevent Non-Communicable Diseases and CancercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Joint Action on prevention of non-communicable diseases and cancer.
• EU-WISH - EU-Wastewater Integrated Surveillance for Public HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean project for wastewater-based epidemiological surveillance.
• Croatian Health Data Centre (CHDC)coreTechnology or IntegrationNational health data centre project for integrated health data management.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• National Institute of Public Health (Czech Republic): Czech national public health institute providing similar surveillance, laboratory, and health promotion services. Comparable as a peer Central European national institute with similar EU-funded projects and population scale.
• National Public Health Center (Hungary): Hungary's national public health center, covering epidemiology, health promotion, and screening programs. Comparable in mandate and regional public health context as a Central European neighbor.
• National Institute of Public Health (Slovenia - NIJZ): Slovenia's national public health institute covering disease surveillance, health promotion, and screening programs. Directly comparable to HZJZ in mandate, population size, and participation in EU joint actions as a neighboring country.

Broad incumbents

• European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC): EU agency coordinating surveillance and response to infectious diseases across member states. HZJZ directly participates in ECDC networks and is a peer in disease surveillance capability and scope.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): U.S. national public health institute with global influence on disease surveillance, immunization, and health data systems. Comparable in core mandate (disease control, registries, screening) though vastly larger in scale and budget.
• UK Health Security Agency: UK's public health protection agency for infectious diseases and environmental hazards. Comparable as a government body managing national surveillance, vaccination programs, and health emergency preparedness.

Others

• World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe: WHO's European regional office collaborating with HZJZ on health statistics, mortality surveillance, and disease control. HZJZ participates in WHO networks and adopts ICD-10/ICD-11 standards, making it a direct collaboration partner.

Direct peers

• Robert Koch Institute: Germany's central federal public health institute, responsible for disease surveillance, epidemiological research, and health reporting. Highly comparable as a national public health authority with international scientific standing and EU joint action participation.
• Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS): Italy's national institute of health, conducting public health research, surveillance, and reference laboratory services. Directly comparable in scope, structure, and EU-level public health engagement.
• Santé Publique France: France's national public health agency coordinating surveillance, disease prevention, and health promotion. Comparable as a government body mandated with national health registries, screening oversight, and health data analytics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCY-G8Vw1GIbkZc0FPASVuJw
• Facebookfacebook.com/hzjz.zavod
• Instagraminstagram.com/hzjz_hrvatska

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Croatian Institute of Public Health