1. How health is maintained? Russian government ‘s number one priority is not health or health care. Mental and social health such as, suicides and alcohol poisoning is at epidemic proportions. Russian regions found that 40% of men who die from causes other than cancer do so drunk, and more than half that number die in an extreme state of intoxication. Nationwide adult men consume 160 -180 half liter bottles of vodka per year. (a bottle a day)

2. Who is called in an event of illness? Families tend to their own usually due to a lack of money or health insurance. Antibiotics can be purchased over the counter anytime for any illness. This has led to an increase Microbial Drug Resistant TB strain, which is untreatable. Penicillin is the most common form of antibiotic used

3. Special health related practices Russians tend to be cheerful with the dying to avoid distressing the patient. Continuous death watching is a widespread phenomenon. The family may close eyes and mouth of the deceased, otherwise it is considered a bad omen. The Family never leaves the side of the dying, nor do they make any decisions before consulting the whole family first.

4. Point of interest Russian patient to doctor ratio: 230 – 1 American patient to doctor ratio: 390 – 1 Although, the Russian death rate versus American (related to health problems) are 30 times higher due to a lack of health care standards, equipment, medicine and poverty Average life span for Russian males is 56 years old and for women is 62 years old and decreasing every decade.

5. Point of interest (continued) HIV increased from less than 1000 cases in 1997 to 180,000 cases in 2001 170 abortions per 100 live births were reported, that’s six times higher than in he US. 1 out of 3 babies are born healthy, and 10% are born with deformities. Stomach cancer is increasing due to a smokeless tobacco called (NAS)- mixture of tobacco, lime, ashes and cottonseed oil.