In the last 30 years, the share of the Bulgarian population in the 60-plus years age has increased from 15% to nearly 22%, according to statistics of the National Centre for Health Information with the Healthcare Ministry.


The ageing of the population is a demographic process that complicates the health situation in the country, the elderly being more prone to chronic diseases which increases the
expenses for health care, the chief of the National Public Health Centre, Prof. Miroslav Popov said for the Bulgarian Press Agency.

Two-thirds of Bulgarians die of cardiovascular system problems. The second biggest cause of death is cancer, followed by traumas, poisonings and diseases of the respiratory system.

A slight tendency for an increase of the birth rate - by fractions of the percentage - that was first identified in 1995, has been progressing but mostly among the urban population. One
more trend has persisted - a drop in the mortality rate among infants younger than 1 year. The infant mortality rate remains too high in the districts of Silistra (northeastern Bulgaria),
Sliven and Pazardjik (southern Bulgaria).

The life expectancy too is slightly on the rise, mostly among women.

In 2000 Bulgaria had 299 hospitals, including 18 private.

From nearly 90,000 in 1997, the number of hospital beds have dropped to 60,000. Some of the beds that were cut back had been used for only 85 days a year, Prof. Popov said.

In 2000 the utilization of beds in some hospitals reached 242 days. The average duration of hospital stay is still too long - 11.5 days.

The changes in the health care system have not left Bulgarians without adequate medical services as some complain.

There are more GPs now than there used to be 12 years ago.

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