Objectives: To determine if Bosnia and Herzegovina healthcare system is prepared for influenza pandemic; and to indicate strengths and weaknesses in planed resolution of pandemic influenza in Bosnia and Herzegovina healthcare system. Methodology: Qualitative systematic review, comparing established elements of healthcare systems with WHO’s guidelines on pandemic preparedness. Critical evaluations of available findings on preparedness of healthcare system of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) compared in details to preparedness of healthcare system of United Kingdom (UK) but in certain elements with some other European countries. Results and Discussion: Analysis of preparedness plans of B&H and UK are presented in details, with comparison of B&H with eight other countries by WHO guidelines categories and phases of pandemic preparedness and contingency plans. Conclusions: Disregarding the obstacles in B&H health care system policy Bosnia and Herzegovina has preparedness plans, that are made based on WHO’s guidelines but unlike all other analyzed countries does not have contingency plan. This can be seen as strength while weaknesses of B&H’s healthcare system are: late forming of preparedness plan with poor implementation of set activities, and lack of contingency plan.

Introduction: Hypertension (high blood pressure) is one of the most widely spread modern diseases and one of the leading risk factors for heart and blood vessel diseases, particularly stroke and coronary heart disease. The prevalence of hypertension is about 25% in adults. Many studies show that blood pressure tends to have lower values among people with higher education levels. Goal: To determine the frequency of measurement and control of blood pressure in relation to the level of education of the active working population of the Sarajevo Canton. Material and methods: The study was conducted on 443 subjects randomly selected from the categories of the active working population of the Sarajevo Canton. The study was conducted at the Center for Heart, Clinical Center University of Sarajevo University through the project “Prevention of risk factors for cardiovascular disease in the active working population of the Sarajevo Canton”. Respondents were at age in range from 18-65 years, who have voluntarily joined the study. Results: Of 443 (100%) of the respondents 153 (34.5%) were males compared to females whose participation in the sample was 290 (65.5%). Regarding the structure of respondents, the majority of them 213 (48.1%) graduated faculty, 142 (32, 1%) graduated secondary vocational schools and 66 (14.9%) with a higher degree, with the lowest number with completed grammar school (1.4%) and secondary school (0.5%). Blood pressure never measure 16 (3.6%) of respondents, which is not insignificant number, more than 5 years ago 23 (5.2%), within last 1-5 years 90 (20.3%), in the past 12 months 88 (19.9% ) and 226 (51%) measured the blood pressure in the past 6 months. Blood pressure never controlled 4.33% of respondents with secondary or higher education and 2.82% of the respondents with university education. Chi-square test showed a difference between education and the prevalence of blood pressure, χ2=7.812; DF=8; p=0.045. Conclusion: Monitoring of blood pressure and frequent measurement can in large number prevent progression of hypertension, which can often remain unnoticed if the blood pressure is not measured regularly. Lower levels of education may be associated with lower socioeconomic status of healthy subjects, as well as the low level of health education, which may be factors that contribute to improper diet, lack of physical activity, smoking, so indirectly affect the occurrence of the disease. Education can be a potential risk factor for high blood pressure during their lifetime and thus the risk factor for other cardiovascular diseases.

Significant increase in noncommunicable diseases, in particular cardiovascular disease, in the past few decades worldwide represents one of the major health challenges in the overall global and social development of society. Cardiovascular conditions have the highest impact on lost years of life, lost quality of life, but also on the differences in longevity in different population groups. Global statistics show that cardiovascular conditions are responsible for one third of global deaths, while coronary heart conditions are the leading cause of death worldwide. (1,2) Many population research studies corroborated that high blood pressure is an independent and significant risk factor of cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease and most significant determinant of morbidity and mortality in developed countries. (2,3)

This study describes the current situation of cardiovascular risk factors research in the Bosnia and Herzegovina, with special emphasis on the Herzegovina region. The available data for the analysis includes various secondary sources, including project reports, official vital statistics data and other sources. Currently, there is a substantial lack of relevant information, which is available from occasional surveys or isolated studies. One of the main problems in detailed analysis is the lack of detailed and reliable census data, which causes problems in calculation of various rates and disables the creation of representative population samples for the field work and subsequent analysis. Comparison of the available information with neighbouring Croatia indicates interesting mixture of relatively high prevalence of some risk factors and rather low prevalence of others; almost 50% of men reported smoking on a daily basis, while only 16.5% of men were obese, while 40% of them had blood pressure over 140/90 mmHg. The results provide useful but incomplete information for the policy, thus suggesting that broader scope of public health research is needed in the region coupled with the census data, in order to provide better information for health policy and ultimately delivery of the optimal health care to the entire population.

Considering that a register for cancer was established in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina only recently, basic reliable source for the analysis of cancer mortality trends are the data on death cases caused by such diseases. Lack of census as well as standardized mortality rate data makes the study even more difficult to make. The aim of the study is the analysis of the malign diseases trend in the post-war period according to the available data. The study is the descriptive work on the analysis of the system using linear regression methods for expected trend for the total population and age group from 0 to 64 years. Registered rate of cancer mortality in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2004 was 142 per 100000 inhabitants, and indicates input stream in the analyzed period. Total increase in mortality of males and females is 2.5% per year. It is expected that in 2020 around 5000 inhabitants of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina will die of some malign disease. Trend of mortality of malign diseases in males is higher than in females and more probable in older population. There is a tendency of mortality decrease in the group of 0-64 years of age. Mortality list of the most frequent locations of cancer has undergone changes. Liver cancer, colon cancer, sigma and rectum cancer as well as lung and breast cancer lead the list. Objective ageing of the population, technological drawbacks, insufficient primary and secondary prevention worsened by socio-economic life conditions will affect the increase in number of people with malign diseases in Bosnia and Herzegovina.