EFFECTIVENESS OF REGIONAL PROGRAMS AIMED AT MORTALITY REDUCTION IN RUSSIA

Aim is to suggest a method to evaluate effectiveness of policy measures aimed at mortality reduction via specification of scale and models of life expectancy increase. Scale of growth (decline) of life expectancy is an informative indicator because amount of the growth (decline) corresponds to inputs by certain age groups. Since life expectancy in Russia depends upon mortality in the working ages, it is obvious that working population is one of priorities for policy measures in all regions regardless of their life expectancy levels. In favorable group of regions age profile of life expectancy growth is diffused among all age groups – from youth to elderly. That reflects a wide range of measures aimed at mortality reduction in such regions. The group with mortality level lower than Russia’s average is characterized by gender shift in age profile of life expectancy growth: in males growth of life expectancy became higher with faster decrease of mortality in middle ages and youth; in females – with faster decrease of mortality in middle ages and elderly. A peculiar characteristic of the unfavorable group is the direct relation between life expectancy growth and mortality reduction in working population.
Such approach appears to allow for unbiased evaluation the effectiveness of policy measures according to selected priorities.