The mortality caused by cardiovascular diseases will be reduced by 10% until 2020, as provided in a national program approved by the Government. Minister of Health Andrei Usatyi said the rate of deaths caused by such diseases in Moldova is almost two times higher than the global average, IPN reports.

Approximately 60% of the deaths in the last ten years were caused by cardiovascular diseases. 30% of the premature deaths at working age are caused by the same diseases. These diseases affect greatly the children too. The number of children born with congenital heart defects rises to about 700 a year. Half of them die in the first year of life, while the others become invalids.

The program approved by the Government defines a series of activities that will contribute to the prevention of such diseases. “By this program, we aim to modernize the diagnosis methods and to inform the population about the risk factors for heart disease,” said Andrei Usatyi.

A sum of 7 billion lei is needed to implement the program. Of it, 3 billion lei will be allocated from the mandatory health insurance funds. The rest of the money will represent foreign grants and loans.