Mortality Trends and Causes of Death in Moldova, Ukraine and Romania

Olga Penina , Nicolae Testemitanu State University Of Medicine And Pharmacy Of The Republic Of Moldova

Until the late 1990s, mortality trends in Moldova, Ukraine and Romania were very unfavourable. There has been an improvement in the health of the population in Romania since 1996. In Moldova and Ukraine, adverse long-term trends have resumed following large fluctuations related to the specific events of the late 1980s and 1990s. This study aims to understand the similarities and differences in cause-specific mortality trends and patterns in the three countries before and after the communist regime. We use mortality series reconstructed under ICD-10 for Moldova and Ukraine since the mid-1960s and Romania since 1980. The analysis focuses on cause-of-death mortality trends and age- and cause- components of life expectancy changes. In Romania, the steady decrease in cardiovascular mortality contrasts with the lack of improvements in digestive diseases, while the very recent trends in infections, respiratory and other diseases are of concern. In Moldova and Ukraine, the half-century health crisis is primarily linked to a continuous increase in cardiovascular mortality among adults, particularly men. The recent improvements in Moldova and Ukraine are mainly related to old-age female mortality from cardiovascular diseases and certain external causes of death among young men. The burden of liver cirrhosis is of particular concern in Moldova, particularly for women. At the same time, in Ukraine, mortality from this cause has been rising very quickly over the last two decades. Changes in mortality trends are discussed through the health transition lens and in the context of changing public health policies and health-related attitudes and behaviour.

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 Presented in Session 72. International perspectives on mortality