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The Republic
of Moldova, otherwise known as Moldova, is a country located in
Eastern Europe that shares land borders with Romania to the west
and with Ukraine to the north, east and south. Moldova spans a
total land area of 33,846 square kilometers with a population of
approximately 4.3 million people. Formerly part of the Soviet
Union, Moldova became an independent state in 1991 and established
a parliamentary republic and democracy where a President is the
head of state and a Prime Minister is the head of government.
Situated at a crossroads between Slavic, Latin and various other
cultures, Moldova has a rich tradition of art and literature which
is strongly influenced by its neighbors. Ethnic Moldovans, who
account for approximately 80 percent of the population, speak
Romanian and share cultural links to Romania. As such, Moldovan
(Romanian) is the national language while Russian and Ukrainian
are also widely spoken.
Moldova experiences a temperate continental climate with mild
winters and warm summers. Rich, fertile soil coupled with
favorable weather conditions allow for excellent agricultural
production and wine making. Following independence, Moldova’s
economy was strongly reliant on agriculture and industry, however,
recent developments in the services sector have now placed this
industry at the forefront of Moldova’s economic growth. Moldova’s
GDP remains relatively low in comparison to other European
countries, approximately USD4 billion, and in 2009 the European
Parliament described Moldova as one of the weaker countries in
Europe in relation to its GDP.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) is the central authority that
oversees Moldova’s health care policy and strategy. A recently
published Institutional Development Plan for 2009 – 2011 outlined
a national policy on health which includes the following goals:
responsible management and funding of the health care system;
health promotion, education and disease prevention; regulation and
coordination of health care provision and adequate levels of
specialist personnel, equipment and technology. In reality,
Moldova relies heavily on funding and grants from international
donors which provides approximately 85 percent of funding for
primary health care services. Total healthcare funding as a
percentage of GDP is approximately 5 percent with a significant
majority of this figure allocated towards modernizing hospital
infrastructure. The remainder must provide for the purchase of
modern equipment, staff salaries and the purchase of drugs and
medicines, a task for which the moneys distributed have been
deemed insufficient and remain below adequate levels.
Despite a constitutional pledge to provide universal access to
free primary level health care for all citizens, a lack of
government funding in the health sector has resulted in many
citizens being required to pay in cash at the time of treatment.
In 2004, a national health insurance fund was created with the aim
of increasing accessibility to primary level health care,
particularly to those on low incomes and those living in rural
areas. Approximately 78 percent of the population is now covered
by the national health insurance system. The system aims to ensure
access to primary level health care, namely easy access to family
doctors, health posts and health centers. Contributions to the
fund consist of fixed amount payments from employers, employees
and dependants with the contribution amount relative to income
levels.
The standard of medical facilities varies throughout Moldova. The
capital city Chisinau has a number of public sector hospitals
which provide secondary and tertiary level care. In addition, a
regional hospital and a state institute provide specialist care
and treatments. Regional hospitals in rural areas of Moldova
suffer from poor sanitation and hygiene, as well as a lack of
modern equipment, skilled personnel and medicines. Private medical
facilities such as the Medpark International Hospital in Chisinau
have modern equipment and provide a level of care and treatments
more comparable to European standards. Consistent with private
medical facilities elsewhere, the cost of treatment is extremely
expensive. Expatriates and non-nationals who seek treatment at
private facilities are required to pay in cash at the time of
treatment. Consequently, expatriates in Moldova are advised to
purchase comprehensive international medical insurance.
Life expectancy at birth for Moldovan males is 68 years and 75
years for females. The primary causes of premature death are
respiratory and cardiovascular disease, cancer and accidents.
Alcohol consumption per person is quite high in Moldova and the
issues associated with alcoholism place added pressure on the
effective delivery of health services. The infant mortality rate
is 12.43 per 1,000 live births and there are approximately 12,000
citizens living with HIV/AIDS.
Tuberculosis remains one of Moldova’s primary health concerns.
There are an estimated 154 cases per 100,000 people each year
which is roughly 15 times higher than the infection rates of
Western European countries. Moldova also has one of the highest
infection rates among the former Soviet Union nations. The
Ministry of Health, in partnership with international donors and
organizations, has implemented a number of programs designed to
control the spread of tuberculosis and other health concerns such
as hepatitis, rabies and diarrheal diseases.
Moldova’s crime rate is high with petty theft and crimes of
opportunity quite common in Chisinau and other large cities and
towns. Financial fraud such as debit and credit card skimming is
frequent and visitors are urged to use cash whenever possible.
Valuables and identity documents should be kept in a safe place. A
photocopy of the passport and other travel documents should be
carried on your person at all times. Transnistria, located in the
north eastern part of Moldova, has remained outside the
government’s control since independence from the Soviet Union and
as such travel to this area is not advisable.
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