Bogdan Wojtyniak

The aim of the study was to analyze the level and dynamics of changes in mortality from all causes of death as well as the main groups of causes i.e. cardiovascular diseases, cancer and external causes in Poland in the years 1999–2013 compared to the situation in the group of 15 countries that make up the European Union before the accession of new members in 2004. The analysis was carried out for the total population, people aged 25–64 years and older population of people aged 65 years and more.
The results of the analysis indicate a gradual improvement of the health status of the Polish population as evidenced by the declining fairly steadily mortality rates from main causes of death for people in the younger as well as older age groups. At the same time it should be stressed that, compared with the situation in the EU15 situation we observe in Poland cannot be regarded as satisfactory particularly in the case of men of working age.
Certainly cardiovascular diseases have to be considered as one of the most important health problems in Poland being a major threat to the life of Polish population which, while systematically decreasing, is still significantly higher than in most European Union countries. In addition, the pace of decline in mortality rates due to these diseases when compared to the situation in the EU15 is still too slow to achieve in the real future average level of mortality in those countries. It should be noted that excess mortality from cardiovascular disease in men and women in Poland in relation to the inhabitants of EU15 countries is much larger than in the case of cancer mortality which proves the urgent need for more intensive and better targeted health policy in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Zgodnie z założeniami Programu PL13, głównym celem Projektu Predefiniowanego powinno być osiągnięcie rezultatu pn: Lepsze zarządzanie w ochronie zdrowia. Realizacja tego celu przyczyni się do: (a) przyszłej poprawy stanu zdrowia społeczeństwa, (b) ograniczania nierówności w zdrowiu spowodowanych czynnikami społecznymi.

Polish Cardiac Society recommends to use SCORE tables to estimate the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in clinical practice.
The aim of the study was (1) to compare the estimates of the risk of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD) obtained by using a SCORE function calibrated for the Polish population in 2007 with the risk calculated from the observed number of CVD deaths in the last decade, and (2) to compare the estimates of the risk of death from CVD obtained by using a SCORE function calibrated for the Polish population in 2015 with the CVD risk estimated from the observed number of deaths in 2012, using data on the prevalence of risk factors from the two studies of the representative samples of Polish adult population (WOBASZ and WOBASZ 2).
The risk identified by the SCORE 2007 function was higher than the observed risk by 20–40% in men and 18–33% in women. This indicated that the SCORE 2007 function overestimated cardiovascular risk. The risk calculated by using the SCORE 2015 function was more similar to the CVD risk estimated by using the current mortality data. However, SCORE 2015 function may overestimate CVD risk in future if the decreasing mortality trend would persist in Poland.

Public health community worldwide encouraged by successes of former campaigns have always accepted vaccination as the most effective way to handle infectious diseases pandemics. Even before the outburst of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in many countries mandatory vaccination against many diseases, especially child related had been implemented. From among 193 countries under study in as many as 105 (54%) such obligation existed and in 62 of them (59%) at least one form of punishment or harm for those opposing was involved. Following this sort of available solutions and facing COVID-19 pandemic disaster the authors on behalf of the Public Health Committee of the Polish Academy of Science recommend to the government implementation od mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 for all workers in sectors of health care, education and welfare.