ABSTRACT
Increased life expectancy, reduced infant mortality, and an overall decreasing death rate are generally accepted as measures of the well-being and health of a nation. There were numerous factors that could have contributed to this picture of deteriorating health conditions in Eastern Europe vis-a-vis the West. The stress accompanying modern industrialization, introduced at a faster pace in Eastern Europe than in the West, undoubtedly contributed to an increase in heart and circulatory problems. State social policies can prevent health deterioration when properly framed and implemented, even during periods of seriously increased health risks. The public health programs of the East European countries are, in varying degree, replicas of the Soviet system. Health care, like other social services, remained low on the East European governments' lists of priorities. Great effort went into compiling and presenting statistics showing the effort and money being spent on health care.
