Global status of epidemiology: Population health and status of epidemiology: Who european region

Mati Rahu*, Vasiliy V. Vlassov, Frank Pega, Tatiana Andreeva, Pinar Ay, Aleksei Baburin, Vladimír Bencko, Péter Csépe, Anita Gebska-Kuczerowska, Martina Ondrušová, Joseph Ribak

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background This article of the International Epidemiological Association commissioned paper series stocktakes the population health and status of epidemiology in 21 of the 53 countries of the WHO European Region. By United Nations geographical classification, these countries belong to Eastern Europe, Western Asia and South-Central Asia. Methods Published data were used to describe population health indicators and risk factors. Epidemiological training and research was assessed based on author knowledge, information searchesand E-mail survey of experts. Bibliometric analyses determined epidemiological publication outputs. Results Between-country differences in life expectancy, amount and profile of disease burden and prevalence of risk factors are marked. Epidemiological training is affected by ongoing structural reforms of educational systems. Training is advanced in Israel and several Eastern European countries. Epidemiological research is mainly university-based in most countries, but predominantly conducted by governmental research institutes in several countries of the former Soviet Union. Funding is generally external and limited, partially due to competition from and prioritization of biomedical research. Multiple relevant professional societies exist, especially in Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. Few of the region's 39 epidemiological academic journals have international currency. The number of epidemiological publications per population is highest for Israel and lowest for South-Central Asian countries. Conclusions Epidemiological capacity will continue to be heterogeneous across the region and depend more on countries' individual historical, social, political and economic conditions and contexts than their epidemiologists' successive efforts. National and international research funding, and within- and between-country collaborations should be enhanced, especially for South-Central Asian countries

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)870-885
Number of pages16
JournalInternational Journal of Epidemiology
Volume42
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2013

Funding

FundersFunder number
AmeriCares
American International Health Alliance
American University of Armenia’s College of Health Sciences
Armenian National Center for AIDS Control and Prevention and Armenian National Institute of Health
Estonian Ministry of Education and ScienceIUT5-1
Fulbright-Ministry of Science and Innovation15120390
Jinishian Memorial Foundation
National Institute for Health DevelopmentSF0940026s07
United Methodist Committee on Relief
University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
United States Agency for International Development
World Health Organization
UNICEF
American Red Cross
Johns Hopkins University
University of Otago
Lions Clubs International Foundation
Ministerio de Sanidad, Consumo y Bienestar Social
European Commission
Fulbright New Zealand
Eesti Teadusagentuur

    Keywords

    • Disease burden
    • Epidemiological research
    • Epidemiological training
    • Epidemiology
    • European region

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