Infectious diseases mortality in central Serbia.

Study Objective: To determine the influence and the effect of the war in the former Yugoslavia and of the United Nations economic sanctions on mortality from infectious diseases.

Design: This was a descriptive study analysing mortality data time series.

Setting: Central Serbia, Yugoslavia.

Participants: The population of central Serbia was the subject of the study (about six million inhabitants).

Measurements: Mortality rates were standardised directly, using the "European population" as the standard. Regression analysis and analysis of covariance were undertaken.

Main Results: During the period 1973-93, mortality from infectious diseases showed a decreasing trend. From 1987-90, and infectious diseases was significantly higher than expected on the basis of the trend for the preceding period (p = 0.020 and p = 0.00). In addition, there was a statistically significant departure from the preceding trend (p = 0.036) in men between 1991 and 1993 (the period of the war and UN sanctions)--the main effect being in younger age groups.

Conclusion: The economic crisis in the former Yugoslavia during the 1980s followed by the outbreak of the war and the damaging effects of UN economic sanctions had a distinctly adverse effect on mortality from infectious diseases.