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5. HEALTH AND REPRODUCTIVE PROBLEMS IN BELARUS POPULATION (ANTHROPOLOGICAL VIEW)

HEALTH AND REPRODUCTIVE PROBLEMS IN BELARUS POPULATION (ANTHROPOLOGICAL VIEW)

Tegako Lidija, Zhavnerchik E.

Department of Anthropology and Ecology, Institute of History National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Minsk, Belarus

Tegako Lidija, e-mail: lidija@basnet.by

Abstract

Health is a great value for every human and society as well. Knowledge of health is multidisciplinary, and takes a great part in different areas of contemporary science. This knowledge concerns not just medicine, but the range of biological and humanitarian sciences, including demography, psychology, sociology, and ecology as well. Anthropology is in the front row as a science, integrating biological and social knowledge about humans. Anthropology also covers the complex mechanisms in health support by adaptation, homeostasis. It also uses data of somatotype, physiology and biochemistry. Methods of health quantitative evaluation were produced by anthropology on the basis of those criteria. Anthropological researches of Belarusian population health status are held through decades by the staff of the Department of Anthropology and Ecology, Institute of History, NAS of Belarus. Relevance of those studies even increased after the Chernobyl disaster, which had a substantial influence on the economics as well as on individual and public health. State and national efforts were directed to minimize the effects of Chernobyl disaster through the 25-year period, past after it. Radioactive nuclides contamination of the territory was registered in every region. But Gomel, Mogilev and Brest regions suffered most. A number of 2402 settlements, with 1,141,272 inhabitants are now situated in the zones of radioactive contamination. Environmental damage has its negative influence on health and biological status of the population. It caused local changes in morbidity situation, physical development and processes of growth in children. Health decline is marked in the last decades as is evidenced by increasing morbidity in children and teen-agers, illnesses in newborns, reproductive health decline. That contributes to negative population growth. Difference in male and female lifespan also shows poor health state of the population, which is 12 years in the Republic. A new national Belarusian demographic security program for 2011–2015 was approved in the context of public and individual health decline.

Keywords

health, physical development, ability, morbidity, life span

Цит.: Tegako Lidija, Zhavnerchik E. HEALTH AND REPRODUCTIVE PROBLEMS IN BELARUS POPULATION (ANTHROPOLOGICAL VIEW) // Moscow University Anthropology Bulletin (Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Seria XXIII. Antropologia), 2014; 3/2014; с. 100-100