Lithuania - Health

In 1998, Lithuania had approximately 13,950 physicians, of which about one-third were primary care providers in the public health system. Most primary care providers are women. In the same year, there were a total of 187 hospitals with 35,612 beds. As of 1999, there were an estimated 4 physicians and 9.2 hospital beds per 1,000 people. Hospitals beds per 1,000 people decreased by over one-fifth between 1990 and 1998. In 1994, the Public Health Surveillance Service was established to oversee control of communicable diseases, environmental and occupational health, and some other areas. As of 1999, total health care expenditure was estimated at 6.3% of GDP.

One-year-old children were immunized as of 1995 as follows: tuberculosis, 97%; diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus, 96%; polio, 89%; and measles, 94%. As of 1999 the rates were 93% for DPT and 97% for measles. In 1999, there were 99 cases of tuberculosis per 100,000 people.

Life expectancy was 73 years in 2000. The infant mortality rate in 2000 was 9 per 1,000 live births and the fertility rate has decreased from 2.5 in 1960 to 1.3 in 2000. The maternal mortality rate was 18 per 100,000 live births in 1998. As of 2002, the crude birth rate and overall mortality rate were estimated at, respectively, 8.3 and 14.7 per 1,000 people. As of 1999, the number of people living with HIV/AIDS was estimated at fewer than 500 and deaths from AIDS that year were estimated at fewer than 100. HIV prevalence was 0.02 per 100 adults. In Lithuania, there has been a 13% increase in diphtheria cases from 1994 to 1995.

In 1992, more than half of all men over 15 (52%) smoked, while only 10% of women smoked. The deaths from cardiovascular disease in 1994 numbered 24,348.