The health status of the population also deteriorated in the early 1990s, but again the trend had reversed by 1994. The standardised death rate was 10.16 (per 1,000 population) in 1998, (a change from the figure of 8.17 per 1,000 given for 1997). The major causes of mortality were malignant neoplasms (1.94) and accidents, poisons and trauma (1.46).13 Lithuania’s infant mortality rate (9.27 per 1,000 live births) is low by comparison with other countries in the former Soviet Union and close to the Central and Eastern European average.
Population (millions)
Life Expectancy
Male
Female
Albania
3.1
64.3
72.9
Bosnia-Herzogovina
3.9
68.7
74.4
Bulgaria
7.9
67.4
74.9
Croatia
4.6
69.8
77.7
Czech Republic
10.2
71.5
78.2
Estonia
1.3
65.4
76.5
Hungary
9.9
66.3
75.2
Latvia
2.4
64.2
75.5
Lithuania
3.7
66.9
77.2
Macedonia
2.0
70.2
74.8
Poland
38.6
69.2
77.7
Romania
22.4
66.2
73.5
Serbia and Montenegro
10.5
Slovakia
5.3
69.2
77.5
Slovenia
1.9
71.9
79.4
Population and life expectancy, Central and Eastern Europe Source: World Health Report 2001
In 1999 there were 13,888 new cancer cases registered, of which 2,911 were at stage IV of the disease; 57,000 people were registered as having cancer; and there were 7,686 cancer deaths (about 20% of all mortality) in that year. Lithuania developed its first national cancer control programme in 1991, with further developments for 1996-2000 and for 2001-2; but pain relief, palliative care and opioid availability were not included in these programmes.14 A cancer control programme for 2003-10 is now in preparation.
Year
All Causes
Cancer
Albania
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Bulgaria
1998
958.9
123.3
Croatia
1997
836.0
174.2
Czech Republic
1998
706.6
182.9
Estonia
1998
907.7
157.8
Hungary
1998
917.8
219.4
Latvia
1998
955.2
152.1
Lithuania
1997
817.2
149.4
Macedonia
1997
809.1
Poland
1996
812.2
165.2
Romania
1998
933.9
130.6
Serbia and Montenegro
Slovakia
1995
820.9
172.3
Slovenia
1997
666.1
167.5
WHO age standardised death rates per 100,000 population, Central and Eastern Europe (1995-1998) Source: World Health Organisation: World Health Statistics 1997-1999
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