LATVIAN POPULATION HEALTH QUALITY APPROXIMATION TO THE EU LEVEL- ONE OF THE CHALLENGES FOR PERSISTENT EU ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
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| Title | LATVIAN POPULATION HEALTH QUALITY APPROXIMATION TO THE EU LEVEL- ONE OF THE CHALLENGES FOR PERSISTENT EU ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT |
| Authors | |
| Abstract | With the admission of Latvia in constitution of EU, issues related to the harmonization of Latvian national economy development characterizing indexes with the average EU indexes, thus conducting the economic development of all member countries in compliance with agreed strategic setup, became topical. Since one of the fundamental principles of EU economic development is stimulation of sustainable development of national economy, the improvement of Latvian population health quality indexes approximating those to the average indexes of EU countries, is one of the substantial strategic goals which is defined in several long-term development planning documents.The goal of the research is to evaluate current health quality of Latvian population as the EU member country, and outline possible function directions for its improvement. In the course of the research the following tasks were solved: quintessential goals in the area of Latvian population health quality development in the context of EU joint health development goals were evaluated; various aspects of Latvian population health quality were analysed in contrast with the actual situation in the EU countries, conclusions on Latvian population health quality and health quality index place among the EU countries were drawn, as well as the possible function directions for the improvement of the current situation were defined.To reach the goal of the specific research, the analysis of database and recent scientific research was done; the methods of analysis and synthesis were applied, as well statistical methods.The research results illustrate remarkable deviation of Latvian population health quality characterizing indexes from the average indexes of EU countries and immense falling behind from the indexes of developed EU countries. The healthy life expectancy at the age of 65 for Latvian males in 2009 comprised only 57% from the average EU indexes and 35% from Northern European country indexes. Mortality rate from circulatory system diseases in Latvia in 2009 exceeded the average EU index by 220% . In addition to the insufficient healthcare financing, ineffective health care financing model and disadvantages in healthcare organisation, according to the authors, one of the substantial reasons that has lead to the current situation, is the attitude of the population themselves for their health, which is characterised by large health affecting harmful addiction prevalence and low activity in implementation of disease prevention measures.Therefore, currently the health quality of Latvian population is rated as insufficient and for its improvement there are necessary drastic reorganisations in the healthcare industry. According to the authors, as one of the possible solutions can be considered transition to the compulsory health insurance financing model, integrating population joint responsibility for their own health maintenance and public health quality improvement as a separate dimension. For the evaluation of this dimension such criteria as involvement of population in disease prevention measures and giving up of health influencing harmful habits.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.eis.0.6.1437 |
| Publisher | Kaunas University of Technology |
| Date | 2012-07-26 |
| Source | European Integration Studies No 6 (2012) |
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