Hazardous facilities personnel healthier than other Russians

At least ten million Russians work at extremely hazardous facilities and/or live near them but they are healthier than other Russians, the director of the Russian Federal Medical and Biological Agency, Vladimir Uiba, said in a report to President Vladimir Putin on Friday. These people work at the Rosatom state nuclear corporation, at special chemical facilities, at space medicine institutions," Uiba said adding that the group also embraced other sub-groups of specialized workforce. “Of these people, six million live near extremely hazardous enterprises and 3.9 million work in these conditions,” he said adding that the health of this group of population is supervised more thoroughly upon a special medical scheme. “We have already reduced the death rates from major causes of death to the figures the government envisages for the whole country by 2018,” Uiba said. “Moreover, infant and maternity deaths are already now 25% to 50% lower than the targets the Russian authorities have specified for the year 2018.” All cardiovascular deaths in Russia should keep within 648 cases per 100,000 people by 2018 while this category of the population does not exceed 440 cases per 100,000 at present. Cancer among these people is registered at the level of 25% to 50% higher than in other groups of Russia's population but the mortality rate is 25% to 50% lower. Uiba explained for the data by pointing out good prophylaxis -- a high quality of early detection and treatment. The agency’s director is sure that a similar healthcare system should be introduced as a pilot one for all the Russians, as it has proved its efficiency for hazard facilities’ staff.