The aim of the Estonian health policy is to promote the quality of health care system among managers and providers of health care. In the field of health care one of the problems that Estonia is currently facing is the ageing of population, which is caused by the declining birth rate combined with the high rate of premature death. This is four times higher than the respective level in Nordic countries. Tuberculosis is a complex problem, which is closely related to such factors as alcoholism and deterioration of social environment. Increase in spread of drug resistant forms of tuberculosis bacilli is great problem as well.
Nutritional habits show positive changes.
People have increased the use of vegetables and cooking oil and decreased the use of fat. People have started to measure their blood pressure more systematically. A programme for preventing high blood pressure, a programme for preventing cancer and a programme for preventing accidents until 2009 are being prepared. The reforms in the Estonian health care system started in June 1991 with the adoption of the Health Insurance Act by Estonian Parliament. According to this law the health financing is co-ordinated via a public health insurance systems, which is governed by the Ministry of Social Affairs.