World Health Day

World Health Day is celebrated every year on April 7^th, under the auspices of the World Health Organization. The first World Health Assembly, organized by the World Health Organization, was held back in 1948, and the same assembly has proclaimed April 7^th the World Health Day, which is being celebrated since 1950. This year’s theme is "Urbanization and health." Considering that the relationship between health and the urban environment is established, and is manifested in the fact that the urban environment and urbanization have a huge impact on the health, one of the main goals of World Health Day is to raise awareness about the necessity of putting health issues in the centre of urban planning.

The World Health Organization estimates that annually 3% of all deaths worldwide is the result of inadequate fresh water resources and poorly hygiene. In global terms, 2 million deaths annually are associated with exposure to indoors air pollution, while traffic accidents are the ninth leading cause of mortality. [1]

According to the mid-2008 estimate, the Republic of Croatia had 4 434 508 inhabitants, which is by 1 474, or 0.03%, less than in the previous year, and the average age of the total population of the Republic of Croatia was 41.0 years. The share of women in the total population of the Republic of Croatia was 51.8% and of men 48.2%. Such ratio was recorded in most counties and the largest one was recorded in the City of Zagreb, where the share of women was 53.5%.

In 2008 the number of deaths was almost the same as in the previous year, that is, 216 persons less than in the previous year. Out of the total number of deaths, 52 151, in 2008 there were 26 229, or 50.3%, men and 25 922, or 49.7%, women. On average, men died with 69.7 years and women with 77.6 years, while the death rate was 11.8.

As in previous years, in 2008, most people died from circulatory diseases, that is, 43.5% men and 57.2% women, while in the second place by death cause are malign tumours of which, during that same year, died 29.4% men and 21.4% women. The natural increase rate in 2008 was negative at -1.9, and the vital index, live births per 100 deaths to be precise, was 83.9.

According to data for 2008, in the Republic of Croatia there where 23 general hospitals, 14 clinics, 40 specialized hospitals and 40 health centres. Also, there were 22 institutes of public health and 331 polyclinics. In 2008 there were 11 801 employed medical doctors in public and private health institutions and in private practice, of whom 59.1% women and 40.9% men. A year earlier, in 2007, there were 11 799 medical doctors, of whom 58.7% women and 41.3% men. [2]

[1] Source: City of Zagreb Official Web Site

[2] Source: Croatian National Institute of Public Health