Some problems of medicodemographic development in the former USSR

The republics of the former USSR show great diversity in life expectancy, and in morbidity and disability prevalence rates. The diversity in life expectancy is strongly influenced by the different age, sex and cause-specific mortality rates obtaining in each republic. These in turn are determined by environmental, climatic and topographic features, as well as by social and economic development and lifestyle, including nutritional habits. In addition, large urban and rural differences are noted which may be partly accounted for by the restricted access to and low quality of health care in rural areas. Mortality, morbidity and disability rates have also shown unfavourable trends between 1965 and 1989 in many of the republics. The authors suggest further research to elucidate observed mortality, morbidity and disability differentials and trends, viz. analyses using finer breakdown of the population; examination of risk-factor-pattern data for mortality and morbidity by social groups and regions; the collection of data on health and demographic problems of ethnic minorities; greater use of socioeconomic development indicators at the regional level; surveys of individual opinions on perceived health, health requirements and quality of care received; and the development of appropriate medicodemographic models for analytic and forecasting purposes.