Last year, our city hosted 3,776 health and medical events related to local government. The most – 2,289, were aimed at children and parents, through schools and kindergartens, attended by 42,061 representatives of the target group.
Qigong for Our Grandmothers
As reported to the members of the Social Affairs Committee, the programs of the Riga City Council include, among other things:
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promotional activities in favor of children's dentistry (sweet drinks are harmful, and it is essential to take care of oral hygiene!);
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school warm-ups during breaks;
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creating various motivational videos on the YouTube channel, for example, about injury prevention, etc.
Solutions to complex youth problems – addictions, aggression – are being promoted. In general, everything produced by the internal forces of the Council and with the help of purchases.
The local government can also order a bus for children to participate in outdoor sports activities. Among the seniors in Riga, Nordic walking with poles and Chinese gymnastics – qigong – are in demand.
– You can say that you are filling a gap that the state does not provide. We know that we no longer have health lessons, – commented the situation Deputy Lauris Erenpreiss (National Alliance, graduated from the Institute of Physical Culture).
They are just like us
The structure of the capital's local government has also updated the composition of the Health Coordination Council. Its functions will include, among other things, regulating the payment of medical personnel in long-term social care institutions – "Mecium" and "Gailezers", as well as family doctors working in a shelter for people without permanent residence (Daugavpils Street).
– They are just like us, suffering from the same diseases, including chronic and incurable ones, – explained Inga Solovyeva, Deputy Director of the Riga City Health Department. – Only their lifestyle, alcohol consumption, leads to frostbite, gangrene. We had long negotiations to ensure that the work of this family doctor is paid adequately.
Your author inquired with Ms. Solovyeva about the situation in the 1st City Hospital, considering the ongoing hospital reform in Latvia. This capital society (with million-euro turnovers) currently only provides outpatient services, including those under state orders. In the near future, council members will head to the hospital for inspection...
Improve the Climate
In total, Riga had 57,316 adult disabled individuals and 2,777 children by 2025. Additionally, as reported by Raivo Vilcans, head of the project department of the Health Department and head of the Skalbes center, there are also 1,537 minors with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) living in the capital, and not all of them are necessarily disabled.
"Although family is one of the determining factors in how successfully a child will find their individual and independent place in life, how great their self-determination will be, and how their integration into society will proceed, organizers and providers of social services, schools, healthcare institutions, housing, employment, and leisure opportunities also play a certain role," states the introduction to the project, which allocates 19,000 euros for these children to ensure "a better psycho-emotional climate and well-being in the family."
Distributing Syringes and Condoms
584 clients in Riga also receive assistance from the local government as patients with the human immunodeficiency virus. A mobile team distributes syringes and condoms among them. The first ones distributed were 750,250, and the second ones were 22,165. Accordingly, if we assume that each HIV-infected person is a drug addict using intravenous drugs, it turns out that in a year, one person received 1,284 syringes (on average, they made 3 injections per day).
There is an exchange of used syringes for new ones. "So that these syringes do not lie around on playgrounds, – explained I. Solovyeva.
Apparently, the patients have already come to terms with their fate. At least, only 240 times last year did representatives of this group seek psychological help.
On the other hand, 13,242 euros were spent on encouraging donations in the capital. Ten times less... However, in 2026, almost three times more will go for fresh blood – over 36,000.
For their part, the deputies inquired about who conducts sex education classes in schools. It turned out that it can be both organizations and self-employed individuals. Among legal entities, LLC ACH vadība un konsultācijas (registered in an apartment of a five-story building on Latgales Street) was mentioned. In the NACE database, its activity profile includes "consulting on business activities and other management consultations"...
Difficult Children
Martins Moors, head of the Social Department, spoke about assistance for minors with behavioral problems. Currently, the city has its center for difficult teenagers for 188 individuals, and contractual organizations provide an additional 68. In 2026, an additional 40 places will be provided.
– The Riga local government is looking for various options, involving non-governmental organizations, – said M. Moors. – Our top priority is out-of-family care.
According to doctors and social educators, bipolar affective disorders, panic, and anxiety are common among these children. They experience difficulties adapting to the group and feel emotional instability...
As an example, 15-year-old Karolina was taken. She has what is called a full set – from eating disorders (bulimia, anorexia) and homelessness to physical threats to family members, self-harm, and suicide attempts. After treatment in a psychiatric hospital for children in Ainazi, she is undergoing art therapy in Riga and seems to have become calmer.
Money Was Enough for Seven Anxious Moms
In general, for communication with aggressive teenagers, Riga experts decided to use the experience of the United Kingdom – "the method of non-violent resistance, which helps to calmly and consistently, without the use of physical force, stop problematic behavior and restore safe, trusting relationships."
Young mothers also need help – a whole number of them face postpartum depression. The city finances treatment – but, unfortunately, in 2025, only... seven women received it.
It is expected that this year there will be more people willing to adopt – the allowance from Riga has increased from 555 to 585 euros per child.
– Each time, an individual combination needs to be found, – said M. Moors about his difficult contingent. And, unfortunately, nothing indicates that the number of street "Origo children" who hang around the station will decrease...
BUDGET
In total, Riga will spend 1.55 million euros on healthcare in 2026 (excluding one million from EU funds), and in 2027, it is planned to spend 2.2 million euros. Prevention of tuberculosis, HIV will be strengthened, and midwifery services will be expanded.
