ANALYSIS: What Citizens of Sarajevo Canton Most Commonly Suffer From and Die From

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The Study on the Population's Health Status, Determinants of Health, and Healthcare in Sarajevo Canton in 2020, along with the Opinion of the Ministry of Health and proposals for measures to improve the health status of the population in Sarajevo Canton, will be considered at the next session of the KS Assembly. The study was prepared by the Public Health Institute of KS.

According to data from the Federal Bureau of Statistics, the total population in 2020 in the Sarajevo Canton area was 421,555, of which 66,294 or 15.73% were children aged 0-14, 282,343 or 66.98% were people aged 15-64, and 72,918 or 17.29% were people aged 65 and over.

According to data from the Federal Bureau of Statistics, in 2020, a total of 4,206 children were born in the Sarajevo Canton area, which is 2.64% less compared to 2019, when 4,320 children were born. A significant drop in the number of newborns in Sarajevo Canton has been observed in the last 5 years. In 2018, this number was 4,528, in 2017 it was 4,754, and in 2016 it was 4,774. In the last 5 years, the annual number of newborns in Sarajevo Canton has decreased by 568, which represents a drop of as much as 11.89%.

According to data from the Federal Bureau of Statistics, the number of deaths of residents of Sarajevo Canton registered in 2020 is 5,254, which is 18.73% more compared to 2019, when 4,425 deaths were registered. Regarding COVID-19, according to data from the Federal Bureau of Statistics, 501 deaths with COVID-19 as the primary cause of death were registered in the Sarajevo Canton area during 2020.

The top 5 diseases among the population within the general morbidity in Sarajevo Canton in 2020 are: acute upper respiratory tract infections, hypertensive diseases, acute bronchitis and bronchiolitis, COVID-19, and otitis media and other disorders of the middle ear and mastoid.

The top 5 diseases in preschool children aged 1-4 years include the following: acute upper respiratory tract infections, acute bronchitis and bronchiolitis, otitis media and other disorders of the middle ear and mastoid, eye and adnexa diseases, and other intestinal and peritoneal diseases.

The top 5 diseases in school children aged 5-14 years are: acute upper respiratory tract infections, influenza, acute bronchitis and bronchiolitis, eye and adnexa diseases, and otitis media and other disorders of the middle ear and mastoid.

The ranking of the top 5 diseases in school children and adolescents aged 15-19 years includes the following: acute upper respiratory infections, acute bronchitis and bronchiolitis, other upper respiratory tract diseases, diarrhea and gastroenteritis, and chronic sinusitis.

The top 5 diseases in the population aged 20-64 years are: acute upper respiratory tract infections, hypertensive diseases, COVID-19, other dorsopathies, and cystitis.

The top 5 diseases among the population aged 65 and over include the following: hypertensive diseases, acute upper respiratory tract infections, insulin-independent diabetes mellitus, other endocrine and metabolic disorders, and other ischemic heart diseases.

Including COVID-19, the individual diseases that most frequently endangered the lives of residents of Sarajevo Canton in 2020 were: 1. Chronic ischemic heart diseases (589 deaths or 11.21% of all deaths) 2. Stroke (585 deaths or 11.13% of all deaths) 3. COVID-19 (501 deaths or 9.54% of all deaths) 4. Acute myocardial infarction (412 deaths or 7.84% of all deaths) 5. Insulin-independent diabetes mellitus (347 deaths or 6.60% of all deaths).

The Institute's analysis also includes certain recommendations, particularly concerning the elderly population.

"The proportion of the elderly population is continuously increasing in Sarajevo Canton, which requires defining strategic directions for improving the position of older persons in Sarajevo Canton, with a special focus on healthcare for the elderly and the promotion of healthy aging."

It was also recommended to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the private healthcare sector in Sarajevo Canton, in terms of personnel, space, and equipment.

Regarding staff renewal, the Institute recommended the urgent development of a Human Resources Development Plan in healthcare for Sarajevo Canton, considering the age of doctors.

The analysis also specifically addresses the impact of the environment on the population's health, linking air pollution to upper respiratory tract diseases.