[The role of the National Institute of Hygiene in historical perspective].

The article presents the role of the National Institute of Hygiene, during the 90 years of its presence, in the struggle for health of the population. It underlines how the scope of action of the Institute was continuously adjusted in response to existing health treats and how the Institute contributed to detection of new risk factors. The main tasks of the Institute included prevention of disease and implementation of the most up-to-date developments in the country public health system.