Intersectoral problems in the Russian organisation of public health

In spite of the ongoing transition of the Russian society, there is still a traditional view of public health, which is based to a great extent on the ideals and priorities of the Soviet period. Public health activities are regarded mainly as a responsibility of the health sector. There are, however, important public health activities going on also in other sectors of the society, for example, in the educational sector and the local communities, but also in the social insurance system. There is an important Russian tradition of prophylactic treatment in sanatoriums and health resorts, which is financed to a large extent by the social insurance. Based on three qualitative empirical studies, this article describes the organisation of public health in the Russian Federation and analyses the problems of intersectoral co-ordination and collaboration within this organisation. The analysis is focusing on the relations between the health sector and the social insurance system, which are not so well known outside the country. The results of this analysis show a fragmented organisation with a serious lack of co-ordination, but also a limited collaboration between the different sectors involved in public health. On the basis of these results, there is a discussion of how intersectoral collaboration could be improved in the Russian organisation of public health.