Macedonia (FYROM)

Macedonia is located on the Balkan Peninsula in southeastern Europe. It is a landlocked republic, surrounded by Greece, Albania, Serbia and Bulgaria. Macedonia is one of the new states to emerge from the dissolution of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, but unlike some of the other former states, its transition to independence was peaceful. Greece objected to the use of the name on historical and territorial grounds, so the United Nations provisionally calls it the “Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,” often shortened to FYROM.

The population is 2,056,000 and growing at 0.263 percent annually. The birth rate is 12.02 per 1,000 and the death rate is 8.78 per 1,000. Median age is 34.4 years. Life expectancy is currently 71.73 years for males and 76.88 years for females. Gross national income is $2,830. Macedonia is the poorest of the new Balkan states, with 30 percent overall poverty. The economy is growing at a slow pace.

Mortality from parasitic or infectious diseases is very low, accounting for only eight deaths per 100,000. The tuberculosis rate, at 32 new cases per 100,000, has fallen by half since 2001, although it is still twice the European Union average. Macedonia's adult prevalence rate for HIV/AIDS is barely measurable at under 0.1 percent of the population. The country also has a extremely low rate of sexually transmitted diseases, with 0.1 cases per 100,000.

Cardiovascular disease is the main cause of morbidity in Macedonia, accounting for 58 percent of all deaths. Cancer is next, at 16 percent of annual deaths. Surveys have found that 40 percent of males and 32 percent of females are regular smokers. About 25 percent of all adult women are obese, along with 6 percent of men. However, consumption of alcohol is very low, at just 2 litres per person per year, well under the EU average of 9.4 liters. Illegal drug use rare.

Child mortality is low at 15 per 1,000 for infants and 17 per 1,000 for children under 5. Immunization rates are 92 percent or higher. Overall nutrition is good. School enrollment is around 95 percent. However, Roma (gypsy) Macedonians, who account for about 2.7 percent of the total population, have a much poorer health profile, beginning in childhood. Roma children have higher mortality rates, are less likely to be well-nourished or have access to immunization or regular healthcare, and are less likely to receive an education. About 10 percent of Roma children are never registered for school, and many girls drop out early to marry.

Women in Macedonia are believed to suffer from high rates of domestic violence, although there is little [Page 1048]statistical data on the subject. The maternal mortality rate is 23 deaths per 100,000 live births. Almost all births are attended, although Roma women do not get the same level of prenatal care and generally give birth at home, and mother and child mortality in Roma communities may be underreported.

Primary healthcare is provided through a network of about 1,200 units dispersed around the country. Rural community clinics are supplemented by services at healthcare centres in larger towns. There are 16 general hospitals, six rehabilitation centers, six specialized hospitals and a university hospital providing inpatient or tertiary care, clustered in major cities. All technologically advanced procedures are done in the capital city of Skopje.

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