Health assessment of Poles: trends and challenges
Why are Poles’ lives getting shorter? Which diseases are the leading causes of death? Will pandemics become commonplace? On June 22, 2020 the PAS Committee on Demographic Studies devoted its session to discuss these issues. We are sharing with you our experts’ conclusions.
The pandemic has made us talk more about health. Scientists note that critical factors that facilitate the spread of infectious diseases include: globalization, aging population, poverty, inequalities in access to healthcare in many regions of the world, antibiotic overuse and the spread of antimicrobial resistance.
Trends in Poland
Over the past 30 years, the health status of Poles has improved greatly. The average life expectancy of men and women in our country has increased. However, this trend has stopped after 2014.
Cardiovascular diseases and cancers remain a major challenge. While cardiovascular diseases are the greatest threat to the health and life of Poles, cancer is the leading cause of premature death in Poland, especially for women. Still we lack appropriate solutions and strategies to tackle health inequalities between social classes.
The causes of diseases
Excessive alcohol consumption, tabacco use, hypertension, improper diet, and obesity are the main risk factors leading to deterioration of Poles’ health. It is estimated that the top 11 risk factors are responsible for 50% of years lived with a disease and 65% of deaths.
Epidemiological transition
Over the years a major shift has occurred in mortality and disease patterns. Infectious diseases have been gradually displaced by chronic diseases, due to which and average life expectancy has increased. In recent years, however, we have been observing the expansion of viral and bacterial diseases. At the same time, completely new, lifestyle diseases emerge.
Source of information: PAS Committee on Demographic Studies
