The WHO has published a statistical atlas of key health data for the 51 countries of the WHO European region.
The data, covering 1980-2001 includes demographic and population data, figures on mortality and morbidity as well as lifestyle and environmental indicators such as alcohol consumption and road traffic accidents, and types and levels of health care.
The report shows an increasing gap in overall life expectancy between western Europe and the countries of the former Soviet Union which have seen dramatic declines in health status in the 1990s.
Overall Europe’s population is ageing and some trends are of particular concern : rising lung cancer rates amongst women in western and central Europe and increased overall cancer mortality rates in central Europe.
