Toward the assessment of the Russian population mortality risk factors and the feasibility of their reduction: Comments on the World Bank Report “Dying Too Young”

• Published in: Studies on Russian economic development Vol. 17; no. 6; pp. 643 - 654
• Main Author: Revich, B. A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow Springer Nature B.V 01.12.2006
• Subjects: Air pollution; Mortality
• ISSN: 1075-7007; 1531-8664
• DOI: 10.1134/S1075700706060104

A comparative study of external mortality risk factors according to World Bank experts (Dying Too Young Report, 2005) and findings of other projects, as well as mortality reduction programs, is presented. The World Bank experts overrate the significance of smoking and lead pollution as mortality factors and underrate that of alcohol, air pollution, and unfavorable occupational environments. In addition, the impacts of radon, climate warming, and low temperatures, which are very important negative factors for Russia, are overlooked in the Report. Although mortality reduction measures are very topical under the current demographic crisis, certain federal target programs envisage very general measures, and the death rate remains high. Road Safety Improvement, which is the most concrete among these programs, may indeed help reduce road accident-related mortality. The importance of air pollution as a risk factor may grow as a result of changes in the structure of the fuel balance and an increased share of coal combustion.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]