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Malta Women Health Information
– Reported, February 03, 2012
Most health status indicators in Malta are favourable. On the whole, the country has made good progress. Mortality in Malta has progressed from relatively high to levels closer to the European Union (EU) average. However, health has improved more for men than for women, who seem to be relatively more disadvantaged than in other western European countries. Cancer appears to be of growing importance as a health problem. Some chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma and glaucoma cause specific concern and are targeted for more active intervention.
The health care system is relatively equitable and comprehensive. The health care reforms are well focused on sustainability and quality based on an integrated and holistic approach. However, the reform implementation is slow, partly because of administrative, political and cultural obstacles. The political objective of EU accession is an opportunity to streamline and accelerate the process of reforms.
Maltas population of 377 516 in 1998 makes it one of the smallest countries in Europe. The population density is high, 1195 people per km2 in 1998, which renders most of Malta urban area. In 1998, 90% of the population was living in urban areas.
44% of women have completed at least the secondary level of education.Of the total labour force in Malta 29% are women.
The overall life expectancy was 77.5 years. The latest 3-year moving average (1997) was also 77.5 years . This ranks 14th of the 20 reference countries. The 3-year moving averages were 80.0 years for women and 74.9 years for men. For men, life expectancy has exceeded the EU average since the late 1980s ; for women, life expectancy has become very close to the EU average , increasing more rapidly than that of the EU in the past two decades.The life expectancy at age 65 for women it is 18.3 years.For both genders the loss in life expectancy from premature mortality (men 4.8 years, women 3.3 years).
As almost all the causes underlying the deaths attributed to cardiovascular diseases, cancer and accidents are influenced by collective and individual habits and behaviour, a wide variety of health promotion and prevention measures can bring about changes to reduce health risks and thus disease and premature deaths. In general, Maltas age- and sex-specific death rates by cause are close to the EU averages. The main causes of premature death (under the age of 65 years) are cardiovascular diseases, cancer and external causes of death and injury.
The rubella incidence was very high in 1995, with 112.2 cases per 100 000 population and two cases of congenital rubella in 1996. In 1998, the rubella incidence was down to 2.1 cases per 100 000 population. Normally there is no congenital rubella.
No cases of polio have been notified in Malta.Maltas incidence rate was 0.9 cases of clinically diagnosed AIDS per 100 000 population in 1997.
Women as a group live longer than men and have lower mortality rates for most causes of death. However, women have higher rates of morbidity and utilization of health care services (especially related to childbirth), and they can be more affected by social welfare
policies than men are. As described earlier, the life expectancy at birth for females in Malta was 80.1 years in 1998, about the same as the EU average. The gender gap in life expectancy at birth was 4.6 years in 1998. At age 65, the gender gap was 3.4 years in 1998, smaller than in most countries.
The maternal death rate in Malta is difficult to evaluate, as there are very few cases per year and no cases at all in some years.
As mentioned, the mortality from breast cancer among women is above the EU level . Mortality from cancer of the cervix is low; this is believed to reflect the limited numbers of sexual partners among Maltese women.
Credits: WHO Regional Office for Europe
More Information at: http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/120292/E72500.pdf
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