An epidemic is sweeping Central and Eastern Europe. Citizens of the former Communist countries -- especially middle-aged men -- are dying in staggering numbers from cardiovascular diseases, lung cancer and cirrhosis of the liver. In most of these countries, life expectancy is dropping sharply because of the rise of diseases that are largely preventable and mostly self-induced.
Experts on health in the region say the epidemic of chronic diseases is a legacy of the Communist system, which made huge strides in controlling infectious diseases like tuberculosis but failed to address the more modern causes of killer diseases -- individual lifestyles.
In this four-part series, RFE/RL senior correspondent Kitty McKinsey reports on the challenges of reforming health-care systems to deal with this new scourge, how Poland is working to reverse its health decline, on the problem of providing equitable and decent health care, and on one government's role in combatting smoking. |
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