Trends and Regional Disparities in Years of Potential Life Lost in the Republic of Moldova, 2014–2023
Keywords:
premature mortality, years of potential life lost, regional disparities, Republic of MoldovaAbstract
Years of Potential Life Lost (YPLL) is a key public health indicator used to quantify the impact of premature mortality and to identify priority areas for intervention. The aim of this crosssectional study is to analyse trends in PYLL and the main causes of premature deaths in the Republic of Moldova during 2014–2023, with a focus on regional, sex, and urban–rural disparities. We used a depersonalized database of medical death certificates for 2014–2023, provided by the National Agency for Public Health. A total of 177 273 death records for individuals aged 15–69 were included. YPLL was calculated both as absolute values and as mean YPLL per death. Between 2014 and 2023, total YPLL decreased by over 30%. In 2023, YPLL amounted to 125 511 years for males and 49 469 years for females. About 65% of premature deaths occurred in rural areas, varying from 18% in Chișinău to 34% in the Centre region. Among males, the leading causes were cardiovascular diseases (30%), external causes (19%), neoplasms (17%), and digestive diseases (15%). The highest mean YPLL per death was observed for external causes (21 years) and infectious diseases (19.7 years), while cardiovascular diseases and neoplasms had the lowest (9.5 years). At the regional level, Chisinau consistently reported the lowest PYLL, while the South and Centre recorded the highest absolute values, as well as the most significant relative progress. In contrast, the North showed a more modest decline.
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