The State of Public Health in Constituent Entities of the Russian Federation in Times of a Large-Scale Epidemiological Challenge: The Example of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction: In 2020–2022, Russia, like the rest of the world, faced the COVID-19 pandemic. The necessity to overcome its challenges has led to the expansion of powers of the regions. To improve public policy, it is expedient to evaluate the effectiveness of measures taken by the regions for public health preservation. Such an evaluation is proposed to be carried out using the public health index, which requires the development of appropriate methodological approaches. Objective: To develop and test a methodological approach to analyzing the effectiveness of public policy measures in terms of preserving public health. Materials and methods: This work continues a series of studies on establishing the public health index in the Russian Federation, which has already developed an approach to calculating this indicator in view of medical and social resources of the population. The approach is based on the recommendations of the World Health Organization standard "The Urban Health Index". The evaluation of the effectiveness of public policy measures involves the implementation of several stages for calculating the public health index and the classification of Russian regions depending on the degree of its change for 2019-2022. When performing calculations, correlation analysis is used to identify indicators that do not contradict each other. Through the normalization of indicators, as well as the calculation of average geometric values, the calculation of the public health index is carried out. The data for calculating the public health index are taken from the website of Rosstat and the Ministry of Health of Russia. Results: We established deterioration of public health indicators in most regions. We believe that this finding is primarily related to the COVID-19 pandemic as a large–scale challenge. In 2022, the public health index for the Russian Federation has decreased by 13.15 % compared with 2019. The largest decline has been observed in the Saratov Region (69.14 %). At the same time, an increase in the public health index has been registered in several regions, e.g. by 6 % over the study period in the Tyumen Region. Conclusion: The analysis of the components of the public health index makes it possible to ascertain the cause of public health worsening in the region and to assess its determinants. Having classified the regions, it is important to identify the determinants of public health that can be influenced through public policy instruments. © 2023, Federal Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology. All rights reserved.

Calculation of the Public Health Index in the Regions of the Russian Federation

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the need to improve methods of public health assessment and approaches to the development of a system for its monitoring in the Russian Federation. Public health represents a sociomedical resource of the society, deterioration of which has a negative effect on the potential of the society to resist emerging threats. Within a series of previous studies, the authors have developed a methodological approach to calculating the public health index, the monitoring of which will facilitate managerial decisions aimed at strengthening of the potential of public health. Objective: To test a methodological approach to calculating the public health index in the regions of the Russian Federation. Materials and methods: To estimate the public health index, we applied an original methodology specially developed with account for strategic goals outlined by the Russian President and provisions of the WHO Handbook for calculation and use of the Urban Health Index. It includes correlation assessment and standardization of parameters. The components of the public health index were selected in view of the requirements established by the presidential decree on preserving the population of the country, developing the human potential, and strengthening national defense capabilities. Results: We calculated Russian regional values of the public health index for the year 2019. The year selection was determined by the absence of significant biological challenges, currently posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the aftermath of the pension reform. The estimated mean of the public health index in the Russian Federation in 2019 was 0.238, with extremes established in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (0.458) and the Kurgan Region (0.036). Conclusions: Public health monitoring involves tracking of achieved values of the public health index and its individual constituents as they allow judgment on the potential of the society to counteract external threats. Further research should be aimed at analyzing changes in the public health index in the regions of Russia during and after large-scale biological and social challenges. It seems expedient to consider the issue of creating a national information portal devoted to public health problems in the country. © 2022, Federal Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology. All rights reserved.

[The health control of employees in digitization conditions].

The article considers issues of health management of employees at workplace in conditions of globalization and digitalization of society, causing need to revise the labor relations. Under impact of global trends in field of digital technologies, transformation occurs concerning working environment and labor safety measures, contributing to development of new forms of interaction between employee and employer and employment models as well. The ongoing changes in society and global changes in labor market require to investigate new labor conditions, formation of system of knowledge about directions and perspectives for development of labor relations and human resources management. Nowadays, because of spreading of COVID-19 morbidity, increased attention is paid to health of employees and measures targeted to preventing morbidity are intensified. The need to work in new conditions dictates topical issues for scientific research in coming years: development of theory of new labor economy, investigation changes in paradigm of quality of labor life, well-being at workplace in conditions of digitalization of economy and formation of new employment model, digital generation of workers and new challenges in human resources management.The purpose of the study is to explore issues of health management of employees at workplace in conditions of globalization and digitalization. The implemented study permitted to conclude that problems of socio-psychological nature occurring in labor sphere in conditions of active transition to digital economy are complicated by increasing instability of labor relations and occurrence of new social economic and psychological risks at workplace that negatively effect on health and well-being of employees.

[TO THE QUESTION OF IMMUNOPROPHYLAXIS OF PERSONS PARTICIPATING IN THE PROVISION OF MEDICAL CARE IN THE CONDITIONS OF COVID-19].

Immunoprophylaxis is one of the pressing health problems. The safety of those involved in the provision of medical care acquired particular importance during the period of the introduction of the high alert regime. Regulatory norms determine the need for the prevention of infectious processes, including among this group of workers. However, at the moment there are not fully regulated organizational and legal aspects, including the issue of vaccination against coronavirus infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.