-Caveat Lector- <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"> </A> -Cui Bono?- Russian Environmental Digest (REDfiles) is a compilation of the week's major English-language press on environmental issues in Russia. 20 - 26 March 2000, Vol. 2, No. 12 1. Scientists Concerned about Declining Life Expectancy in Russia 2. Nuclear Waste Handling Specialists Awarded Government Prizes 3. Krasnoyarsk Aluminium Factory to Modernize Its Production 4. Finland to Become Partner for Leningrad Region 5. Flu Kills 38 in Russia in 2 Months 6. International Medico-Ecological Fair Opens in Barnaul � 1 Scientists Concerned about Declining Life Expectancy in Russia ITAR-TASS News Agency, March 24, 2000 The death rate in Russia has increased by 33.4 percent as a result of cardio-vascular and infectious diseases, accidents at enterprises, murders and suicides, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Nikolai Trapeznikov said at today's meeting of the board of the Russian Science Ministry which discussed a draft concept of state politics in the area of health service and prevention of diseases for 2000-2010. "Growing depopulation is fraught with a two-times drop in the number of the indigenous population of Russia in 50-70 years' time and a sharp decline in the creative potential of the nation because of a growing number of pensioners and invalids," Trapeznikov said. The level of alcohol and tobacco consumption has risen, the problem of drugs addiction, and among youngsters in particular, has worsened. The situation which developed in arouses serious concern in broad medical circles and interested ministries and departments, Trapeznikov said. A new trend in the suggested concept is that it gives priority to strategically, socially and economically justified principles of maintaining and fostering health rather than its rehabilitation. As a result, the strategy of state politics in health service should be re-orientated to maintenance of initial health parameters and creating conditions which would enable to control the health of the population. Experts believe that the parameters of the health dynamics and the quality of life of the population should be acknowledged as the main goal of social reforms and the criterion of the effectiveness of work carried out by the authorities at a federal and regional level. (back to top) 2 Nuclear Waste Handling Specialists Awarded Government Prizes ITAR-TASS News Agency, March 24, 2000 A large group of scientists and specialists from the Mayak chemical complex, the only industrial enterprise in Russia for the regeneration of nuclear fuel, have been awarded a prize of the Russian government for accomplishments in the sphere of science and technology. The prize was given to them for the creation and inculcation of the system for the evacuation of solid waste, formed during the processing of nuclear fuel, a spokesman for the public relations group of the chemical complex told Tass on Friday. The new technology permits to avoid the reloading and transportation of solid nuclear waste, and guarantees ecological and radiation safety. This is going to be the second prize, received by the Mayak specialists over the past three years. The previous one was awarded to them for the creation of a production complex, at which radioactive waste is put under the coating made of liquid glass. (back to top) 3 Krasnoyarsk Aluminium Factory to Modernize Its Production RIA Oreanda, March 23, 2000 Russian Federation State Environmental Committee approved of the conclusion made by the ecological commission regarding technical and economic reasons for production modernization at Krasnoyarsk Aluminium Factory. For the factory itself it means the following: the factory will receive a legal base from the federal authorities for cardinal modernization of production. It will allow to considerably reduce pollutant emissions in the Krasnoyarsk atmosphere. (back to top) 4 Finland to Become Partner for Leningrad Region RIA Oreanda, March 23, 2000 Despite of the fact that non-visa regime for visiting the town of Vyborg was cancelled, Finland will remain one of the most important business partners for the Leningrad region. The sides held a special session, devoted to further collaboration. At the session the sides proved their readiness to establish Svetogorsky industrial complex. The volume of the necessary investments - 60 mln dollars. One of the most conditions for construction of the complex is establishment of pollution-free production. Most likely, timber resources will be paid the biggest part of attention. One should mention that the Leningrad region is developing several projects on the introduction of Finnish technologies in the regional agriculture. (back to top) 5 Flu Kills 38 in Russia in 2 Months Interfax News Agency, March 21, 2000 An epidemic of influenza that broke out in Russia in late January has already claimed 38 lives, Russia's health authorities announced Tuesday. Ten people have died in St. Petersburg, four in Moscow and three in Astrakhan. Novosibirsk, Perm, Stavropol and Rostov-on-Don have each recorded two deaths. The cities of Izhevsk, Khabarovsk, Kaliningrad, Tomsk, Bryansk, Tambov, Murmansk, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and Kyzyl and the regions of Volgograd, Belgorod, Vologda and Khanty-Mansii have seen one fatal case each. The epidemic has by now spread to 68 of Russia's 89 regions, the State Sanitation and Epidemiology Service has said in a report obtained by Interfax. (back to top) 6 International Medico-Ecological Fair Opens in Barnaul ITAR-TASS News Agency, March 21, 2000 The 5th international medico-ecological fair opened here on Tuesday under the motto "Man. Ecology. Health". It features the integration of inter- state and inter-regional contacts in the protection of health and the environment. The fair has been organised by the Union of Exhibitions and Fairs and the Altai Fair society under the auspices of the State Duma Committee on Health Protection, the Siberian Health Care inter-regional association, the water environment problems research institute, a number of medical institutions of higher learning, the UNESCO Chair of Altai State Technical University, and the Altai Territory administration. More than 100 participants from 23 regions of Russia, as well as from Sweden, India, and France, have put on display medical, diagnostic and laboratory equipment, new environmental protection technologies, purifying devices of industrial and household purpose, medicinal dietetic foods, cosmetics, training facilities, pharmaceuticals, etc. The main purpose, which was set by the organisers of the fair, to stimulate the activity of suppliers of national pharmacological products, medical equipment, instruments and expendable materials has been attained: producer firms account for 60 percent and wholesale ones for 40 percent of exhibitors at the fair, Andrei Olishevsky, president of the Altai Fair society, has told Itar-Tass. Along with the presentations of exhibitors, there will be seminars, round-table meetings, and conference workshops on topical problems of medicines and ecology. There will be also a Vivifying Water festival of mineral and drinking water, the purpose of which is to promote the development and strengthening of the national industry of drinks, and a conference on the provision of the population of Siberia with quality drinking water, competitions, tasting ceremonies, and other activities. (back to top) REDfiles subscription information: To subscribe, send an e-mail message to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> with "subscribe redfiles" in message body; to unsubscribe, send to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> with "unsubscribe redfiles" in body. REDfiles is distributed free-of-charge and is for personal use only. The Transboundary Environmental Information Agency (TEIA) welcomes your comments to Elena Vassilieva at <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. � � � =========================== Note: these issues are available in htm-format. If you prefer this format subscribe on REDfiles directly. 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