Centre for Disease Prevention and Control

The Republic of Latvia is located on the eastern Baltic coast, in the western part of the eastern Europe plain. Latvian independence was re-established on 21 August 1991, at which time it became a parliamentary republic. In May 2004 Latvia joined the European Union (EU), with the population in the same year reaching 2.3 million.Despite rapid economic growth, poverty in Latvia is extensive (officially estimated at approximately 20% of the population), with an increasing degree of income inequality. Life expectancy has also been increasing in recent years; however, it is the lowest among the Baltic and Nordic countries, at an average of 71.1 years (76.6 for women and 65.4 for men) in 2005. In general the lifestyle of the Latvian population is unhealthy, due to high levels of alcohol consumption, smoking, unhealthy diets, insufficient physical activity, and obesity. Mortality from diseases of the circulatory system is very high, causing more than half of all deaths. Infant mortality also remains high at 7.8 per 1000 live births, though it has fallen substantially since 1980. Suicide rates are higher than in any western European country, constituting the fifth most common cause of death.

Healthcare System

Having abolished the highly centralized system that prevailed during the Soviet period, it has focused on xviiiHealth systems in transition Latviadecentralization of health care delivery, administration and financing; full or partial privatization of some kinds of provider institutions; and the establishment of independent primary care practices, which have led to a wide variety of legal forms of health care providers and institutions. It has experimented extensively with a variety of social insurance structures ranging from highly decentralized to partially recentralized arrangements, as well as with organizational forms of health care delivery in parallel with reforms of the state administrative system. The wide-ranging reforms and continuous and ongoing process of change are prompted by the perceived need to increase the efficiency of health care financing and provision and to improve the quality of care.

More information on Latvia's health can be found, here. 

Here you can find all the projects in which the Centre of Disease Prevention and Control is involved.

• Budget and non-budget social costs of drug abuse in Latvia in 2008. Analytical report

• 2010 National report (2009 data) to the EMCDDA by the Reitox National Focal Point „Latvia"

• 2009 National report (2008 data) to the EMCDDA by the Reitox National Focal Point „Latvia"

• The Prevelance and Consequences of Dependency Inducing Substancies in Latvia. 16th Edition

• The Prevelance and Consequences of Dependency Inducing Substancies in Latvia. 15th Edition

• 2008 National report (2007 data) to the EMCDDA by the Reitox National Focal Point „Latvia"

• 2007 National report (2006 data) to the EMCDDA by the Reitox National Focal Point „Latvia"

• Mental Health Care in Latvia 2009. Thematic Report

• Situation report „Suicides in Latvia – situation, perspectives and solutions"

• "Statistical yearbook „Mental health care in Latvia 2007"

• The gender gap in life expectancy, 2007

• Early detection of cancer by screening, 2007

• Injuries and external causes of death in children and young people, 2007

Centre of Health Economics

Ministry of Health of the Republic of Latvia