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Did Mass Privatisation really increase Post-Communist male mortality?

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  • Christopher Gerry

    (UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies)

  • Tomasz Marek Mickiewicz

    (UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies)

  • Zlatko Nikoloski

Abstract

A recent article in the Lancet, by David Stuckler, Larry King and Martin McKee, investigated anew the fluctuations in adult male mortality rates that have come to characterise the so-called post-communist mortality crisis. Adopting a cross-country, time-series perspective the authors examined how the economic policy strategies of the 1990s impacted upon observed fluctuations in mortality. They conclude that the adoption of a strategy of rapid (mass) privatisation contributed to the adverse mortality trends. We subject that finding to closer scrutiny using the same data from which the Stuckler et al claim stems. We find that their claim that mass privatisation adversely affected male mortality trends in the post-Communist world does not stand up to closer examination. It is not supported empirically and is at odds with what we know about both transition in the post-communist world and about health trends over time in this region.

Suggested Citation

  • Christopher Gerry & Tomasz Marek Mickiewicz & Zlatko Nikoloski, 2010. "Did Mass Privatisation really increase Post-Communist male mortality?," UCL SSEES Economics and Business working paper series 103, UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES).
  • Handle: RePEc:see:wpaper:103
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Dalibor Roháč, 2013. "What Are the Lessons from Post-Communist Transitions?," Economic Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(1), pages 65-77, February.
    2. Nikoloski, Zlatko & Ajwad, Mohamed Ihsan, 2013. "Do economic crises lead to health and nutrition behavior responses ? analysis using longitudinal data from Russia," Policy Research Working Paper Series 6538, The World Bank.
    3. Gerry, Christopher J., 2012. "The journals are full of great studies but can we believe the statistics? Revisiting the Mass Privatisation – Mortality Debate," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(1), pages 14-22.
    4. Kozlov, Vladimir A. & Rosenberg, Dina Y., 2018. "Institutional deficit and health outcomes in post-communist states," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 119-131.

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