The Russian
Agriculture Ministry said they may reduce salt supplies from Ukraine but foresees
no shortages.
It wouldn't
do Russia or Ukraine any harm to cut down on salt and while they are at it alcohol,
tobacco and sugar.
In the
nineties life expectancy in Russia and Ukraine was similar to other countries
under the control of the Soviet Union.
Since then
life expectancy in Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia and the rest of
Europe has increased while Russia and Ukraine departed from the trend and decreased.
Today one
third of Ukrainians die prematurely before the age of 65 years, a rate much
higher than in European countries.
A 2009
World Bank report said that about half of deaths before the age of 75 in
Ukraine could be avoided through adequate prevention and treatment.
The biggest
causes of premature mortality are linked to tobacco, alcohol and factors
related to road safety and are largely modifiable and preventable.
The problem
is further compounded by the lack of medical facilities which I can
confirm first hand after having an emergency appendectomy several
years back.
I’ll spare
you the detail but what is generally a routine procedure resulted in a near
death experience, three separate operation’s, seven major incisions all taking
place in a poorly equipped hospital in the middle of winter with intermittent heating and hot
water.
The
highlight was my surgeon digging around in my wound without any anaesthetic
looking to see if he had left anything behind that might have caused the
complications.
He did
refund my $600 though so it wasn't all bad.
The problem
with consuming tobacco, alcohol and speeding and sometimes all three at the
same time is we never believe it will happen to us.
It often
requires government policy and action to bring in change to public attitudes
and behaviour.
There have
been some initiatives such as banning smoking in public places and the removal
of alcohol sales from petrol stations, but as alcohol and tobacco consumption
are amongst the highest in Europe and climbing it looks like much more needs to
be done.