Malta has fewer doctors, dentists, nurses than EU15

Malta's dearth of health professionals in comparison to the rest of the European Union has been underlined in a detailed publication drawn up by the World Health Organisation.

In Malta, there are 260 physicians per 100,000 of the population, way below the EU average of 380.

The publication states there are 400 dentists in Malta per 100,000 of the population (EU average 640); 550 nurses (EU average 670) and 200 pharmacists (EU average 790).

However, Malta is classified by WHO in the group of European countries with very low mortality of both adults and children.

The publication - Health Policy and European Union Enlargement - together with a booklet called Health Questions About The 10, concludes that of the acceding countries, only Malta and Cyprus have patterns of health similar to the existing EU member states.

The publications give a detailed analysis of each of the acceding states' health sector, the way it is sustained, summaries of current health policies and other information. They also examine and quantify the costs and risks arising from new members joining the EU and aim to help governments formulate strategies for public health.

WHO points out that wages in the private sector in Malta are very competitive and attractive to health professionals. The number of graduates in medicine and pharmacy has increased enormously and there has been increasing focus on human resource planning in the sector.

Turning to statistics, the publication states that circulatory diseases are the leading cause of death in Malta (46 per cent) and comprise eight per cent of all admissions.

Malta has one of the worst incidences of ischaemic heart diseases in the EU, responsible for 25 per cent of all deaths. A total of 172 people per 100,000 died of this disease in 2002, way above the average of 97 in the EU15.

Cancer is the second most common cause of death, with 24 per cent in total. Of all cancer deaths, 17 per cent are from lung cancer and 13 per cent from breast cancer. Of the new cases, 12 per cent are non-melanocytic skin cancer. Overall, though, the incidence of cancer in Malta is lower than the EU15.

There are 68 cases of respiratory diseases per 100,000 of the Maltese population, below the EU15 average of 82.

Meningococcal diseases are described as "hyperendemic" in Malta, with eight cases per 100,000 in 2001, a rapid increase from 0.8 in 1994.

There are three new cases of HIV infection per 100,000, below the EU average of 4.3, while diabetes is highly prevalent in Malta - a pattern shared with other Mediterranean islands.

Suicide and self-inflicted injuries cause six deaths per 100,000 of the Maltese, below the EU15 average of 10.

The rate of deaths from motor vehicle accidents in Malta is among the lowest in Europe.

Life expectancy at birth is close to the EU average in Malta and Cyprus, but it is nine years less in Turkey and over eight years less in Latvia. Infant mortality in Malta stands at 6.1 deaths per 1,000 live births, above the EU average of 4.9, according to WHO.

Malta has the second highest male life expectancy at birth (75.12) and 13th in terms of female life expectancy (79.3).