Better noncommunicable disease outcomes: challenges and opportunities for health systems: Estonia: country assessment

ABSTRACT

This report reviews health system challenges and opportunities in Estonia to scale up core services for the prevention, early diagnosis and management of noncommunicable diseases. Outcomes of noncommunicable diseases have been improving and Estonia is closing the gap with other EU countries. In part this is due to progress implementing core population interventions such as tobacco control, prevention of harmful use of alcohol and improving nutrition and physical activity. The assessment recommends that to further strengthen the health system response to NCDs, Estonia should consider the following six areas strengthening coordination and governance; introducing chronic disease management systems based on family medicine; accelerating action on obesity and nutritional risk factors for noncommunicable diseases; upgrading the e-health system into an integrated clinical and decision support system; empowering patients, and; analysing the case for change and refining plans for addressing noncommunicable diseases.