Rapid Responses to:

ANALYSIS:
Sergey V Shishkin and Vasiliy V Vlassov
Russia’s healthcare system: in need of modernisation
BMJ 2009; 338: b2132 [Full text]
*Rapid Responses: Submit a response to this article

Rapid Responses published:

[Read Rapid Response] Health promotion in Russia
Harald M Lipman, The Dutch House, 77a Fitzjohn's Avenue, London NW3 6NY   (20 July 2009)

Health promotion in Russia 20 July 2009
Top
Harald M Lipman,
Executive Director ICHARM
International Cardiac Healthcare & RiskFactor Modification,
The Dutch House, 77a Fitzjohn's Avenue, London NW3 6NY

Send response to journal:
Re: Health promotion in Russia

Over 55% of male deaths in Russia are due to CVD and stroke; in large part caused by excessive alcohol & tobacco usage, poor diet, obesity, inadequate exercise, hypertension, raised cholesterol & diabetes. The Russian authorities fully recognise the potential risks at personal, social, economic and political levels should their population continue to fall by 0.5% per annum. In the absence of measures to reduce this decline, the present population of 143 million could fall to 100 million by 2050.

In conjunction with WHO and the World Bank the Russian Ministry of Health & Social Development developed and launched a detailed comprehensive strategy document in 2008 to prevent & control non- communicable diseases and injuries (1). The overall aim is by 2020 to increase male life expectancy to 75 years and reduce mortality by 20% (2).

To achieve these goals legislative measures controlling alcohol and tobacco availability & usage, education in preventive medicine for the medical profession and the public, CVD risk assessment and prophylactic use of statins in those at risk, will all be necessary.

A joint Russian/UK pilot project to apply these principles in a large industrial regional city is in preparation. The project will ascertain which measures would be most effective in a Russian population and demonstrate over the course of three years the potential benefits. Ultimately similar schemes would be introduced throughout the Russian Federation.

1.Strategy for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases and injuries in the Russian Federation Ministry of Health & Social Development, State Research Centre for Preventive Medicine Moscow 2008

2. The concept of health system development until 2020 Ministry of Health & Social Development of the Russian Federation 2008

Competing interests: None declared