Are the health Millennium Development Goals appropriate for Eastern Europe and Central Asia?
This article argues that the health-related Millennium Development Goals do not appropriately address the challenges faced by the countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. By ignoring adult mortality, their achievement would result in relatively small gains in life expectancy. To achieve greater impact, policies in this region must supplement the classical Millennium Development Goals with indicators of adult health, in particular cardiovascular diseases and external causes of death. In addition, countries, with support from the international community, must improve the quality of vital registration data to enable more accurate estimation of the disease burden.
Rechel
Bernd
B
European Centre on Health of Societies in Transition, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK. bernd.rechel@lshtm.ac.uk
Shapo
Laidon
L
McKee
Martin
M
D000328:Adult; D001208:Asia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D002423:Cause of Death; D005061:Europe, Eastern / Q000453:epidemiology; D006291:Health Policy; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D012040:Regional Health Planning; D014944:World Health Organization