Diferențe rural-urban în dinamica speranței de viață și politicile de sănătate a populației

Abstract

In the last years, Moldova registered a tendency of increase in life expectancy at birth, excluding the pandemic period. Despite the registered trends in mortality evolution, the previous mortality pattern with a gender and regional gap in the length of life is maintained. In this regard, our research is aimed to highlight the urban/rural life expectancy gap, attempting to explain changes in mortality through the implemented measures and policies towards population health. We utilised period life tables for our analysis, enabling the decomposition of life expectancy. Therefore, we systematised the existing legislative framework in population health and implemented national health programs and lifestyle-adjusting policies while analysing mortality evolution. The changes in life expectancy at birth have occurred in the context of a decrease in mortality primarily attributed to cardiovascular diseases and external causes. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the structure of causes of death, leading to a substantial increase in urban mortality, which has caused a reduction in the urban/rural disparity. In our analysis, we deduce that implemented alcohol and tobacco control policies will likely have a long-term output on population lifestyle adjustment. Improvements in healthcare infrastructure and implemented targeted programs (e.g. interventional cardiology) significantly contribute to the amelioration of population health but are less accessible for rural regions than urban ones. The article was elaborated within the State Program Project (2020-2023) 20.80009.0807.21 „Migration, demographic changes, and situation stabilization policies”.