RUSSIA

Health indicators for the Russian Federation reflect a decade in which health budgets have been cut by an average of 50%. During this time Ministry of Health statistics indicate an 150% increase in reported mental health problems amongst young people, exponential growth in HIV infection rates (officially, the number of recorded cases doubled between January and June 2001 to 122,000), average infant mortality rates of 2% (WHO, 2000/ 2001) and average life expectancy of nine years less than the average for EU countries (WHO 2000).

Population 147 million. The Russian Federation covers an area of 17 million sq km stretching over two continents from Vladivostock on the Sea of Japan to St Petersburg on the Gulf of Finland, from The Arctic Circle to the edges of Outer Mongolia and China.
Although many financial institutions and enterprises suffered heavy losses during the financial crisis of 1998, the Russian Federation is energy resource-rich, with Gazprom, the world’s largest gas company, representing 10% of Russia’s GDP.

The huge social and economic changes brought about by the transition to a market economy left many Russians facing economic hardship: unemployment, non-payment of wages or fixed salaries in the face of an increasing cost of living.