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Despite mortality improvements across Europe, premature mortality notably persists in Central and East European countries. This study is aimed to assess premature mortality variations across Central and East European countries from 1970 to 2019, employing both classical premature mortality indicators and the more nuanced lifespan disparity indicators. Specifically, the analysis utilised the proportion of deaths up to the age of 65, lifespan disparity, and an age threshold derived from lifespan disparity to explore mortality trends. The findings reveal a stable reduction in premature mortality within Central European and Baltic countries, contrasting with the pronounced fluctuations experienced by East European countries. Remarkably, Czechia, Slovakia, and Estonia demonstrating the most significant progress in mitigating premature deaths. The trajectory of premature mortality in Central and Eastern European nations underscores the influence of socioeconomic crises and distinct alcohol consumption patterns on mortality trends. The study highlights the limitations of employing a static age threshold of 65 years in analysis of premature mortality, which fails to capture the full scope of premature mortality realities, particularly among females. However, the traditional metric of deaths before age 65 provides a broadly understandable measure, the nuanced insights offered by lifespan disparity and its derived age threshold enhance our understanding of premature mortality dynamics. Recognising the strengths and limitations of each indicator is essential for advancing our grasp of premature mortality and for refining the development and execution of targeted public health interventions throughout Europe.

In Moldova, there has been a long-term decline in the population, mainly due to high levels of emigration. The article presents an analysis of population dynamics in Moldova over the last three decades, and estimates the contributions of fertility, mortality and migration to this process. Using population censuses, data on the population with usual residence, vital statistics and data on Moldovan immigrants from the host countries’ statistical institutes,we estimate population changes between 1991–2021, and present demographic projections up to 2040. The results show that migration outflows account for more than 90% of the depopulation trend, with high levels of premature mortality accelerating the natural decline. The fall in births is associated with a decrease in the reproductive-age population. The total fertility rate has been decreasing gradually, while the cohort fertility rates have not fallen below 1.75 live births per woman. Past migration and low fertility are projected to result in long-term population decline. Demographic ageing is expected to increase. While population decline cannot be stopped, its scale can be limited through reductions in emigration and mortality. This study on population decline in Moldova helps to complete the demographic picture of Europe in the 20th century and into the 21st century.

Premature mortality is a highly intricate concept, and despite its extensive exploration in specialized literature, a universally agreed-upon definition remains elusive. This study seeks to compare two distinct models of premature mortality analysis in order to determine the more appropriate approach within the national context. The relevance of this study is underscored by the observed mortality rates in Moldova, particularly the concern surrounding adult male mortality. To achieve this objective, a comparison was conducted involving the following indicators: the proportion of deaths before a specific age threshold, Potential Years of Life Lost (PYLL), disparity in lifespans, and age thresholds derived from lifespan disparity. The analysis primarily adopts a comparative approach, and as such, data from Czechia and Sweden were employed for this purpose. In the context of Moldova, identifying a universally accepted set of indicators to effectively monitor premature mortality proves to be a complex task. Conventional indicators are susceptible to variations caused by age and population structure. The application of standardization methods can mitigate the impact of these factors. Alternatively, the "dynamic" approach indicators are less influenced by age and population structure, yet their methodology is more intricate, posing challenges for interpretation. Nonetheless, the establishment and promotion of such an indicator set are undeniably imperative. It is noteworthy that the selection of indicators for monitoring premature mortality is influenced by prevailing scientific or actuarial interests, as well as the specific goals outlined for the analysis.

The study aims to highlight changes in mortality during the Covid-19 pandemic in Moldova. Two sources of data were used: the National Bureau of Statistics database for overall mortality and mortality by major and specific causes of death and the Ministry of Health for Covid-19 deaths. The primary analysis methods applied in the research were direct mortality standardization and the decomposition of the difference in life expectancy. The results show that the Covid-19 pandemic caused a substantial increase in the number of deaths, which lead to a significant decrease in life expectancy in both sexes. The results emphasize an increase in mortality due to diseases of the cardiovascular system and diseases of the respiratory system. The more detailed analysis of the major causes of death increased during the pandemic period showed an increase in mortality due to coronary atherosclerosis and acute pneumonia, contrary to the trends existing in the pre-pandemic period. It is important to note that mortality due to Covid-19 was higher than major leading causes of death before the pandemic period. The decomposition of changes in life expectancy between the years 2021 and 2019 by age shows quite similar age profiles between sexes, indicating the pandemic's direct and indirect impact on the dynamic of mortality. The effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on mortality, but also on the health of the population, is much more complex, requiring further research to identify prompt and effective responses.

In this article, we carry out the cost-analysis of the total premature mortality and avoidable causes of death for Moldova by applying the human capital approach. The results show that the indirect costs of avoidable mortality represent slightly over 85% of total economic losses due to premature mortality in Moldova. The highest economic losses are due to injuries, cardiovascular diseases, and alcohol and drug-related deaths. For males, the leading cause is represented by injuries, whereas for females the two leading causes include cardiovascular diseases and alcohol and drug-related deaths. The results of this study can be used for a cost-benefit analysis to design economic mitigation strategies aimed at lowering the avoidable mortality in Moldova.

This article presents the results of the comparative study on the mortality and life expectancy at birthdynamics in Moldova and six other post-Soviet countries in the European region – Belarus, Russia, Ukraine,Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania. The aim of the research is to highlight the convergences and divergences, aswell as the causes which lead Moldova to lag behind in this field. The study is based on Human Mortality Database (HMD) and Human Causes-of-Death Database(HCD) data. For Moldova, mortality tables for the resident population were used (with the exclusion ofmigrants who have been absent from the country for more than 12 months). Despite the similar trends in the dynamics of life expectancy at birth in the selected countries sincethe mid-1990s, there is an increasing divergence in this respect. The Baltic countries, especially Estonia,have succeeded in achieving significant progress in reducing mortality and increasing life expectancy atbirth, while Belarus, Russia, Ukraine and Moldova remain outliers. Decomposition of mortality by causesof death demonstrates that the reduction in mortality by cardiovascular diseases has had a major impacton the development of the gap in life expectancy at birth observed between Estonia and Moldova.

Given the rapid increase in the number and share of the elderly in the total population, good healthand healthy ageing are an important factor in the socio-economic development of ageing societies. Selfperceivedhealth is one of the most important health and well-being indicators. The article presents theresults of research on self-perceived elderly health based on data from "Household Budget Survey" for2006-2015 (NBS). The study reveals a slow increase in life expectancy and healthy life expectancy, as wellas time spent in good health. The life expectancy without chronic illness is lower than healthy lifeexpectancy. There is a positive rise in the self-assessment of the elderly for both sexes and at different agesafter 60 years. The regression analysis of factors influencing self-perceived health (age, sex, education level,welfare level, degree of disability and civil status), demonstrates that among the most important factors withwhich self-responding health is associated, as bad and very bad were highlighted the low level of educationand material welfare, as well as the presence of behavioural vices (smoking).