Russian adults with a medical condition are most likely to suffer from respiratory diseases, according to information from the Health Ministry cited by the RBC outlet on Monday.
In 2016, one out of five adults with a medical ailment was diagnosed with pneumonia, acute laryngitis, tracheitis or bronchitis, the report says.
The statistics also show that the death rate for respiratory diseases increased to 8.7 percent in the first six months of this year, compared to 7.3 percent in the same period last year.
According to a recent study by the ministry, the regions with the highest incidence of disease are the Yarovslavl, Moscow and Tver regions.
The lowest disease rate is found in Russia’s North Caucasus republics of Dagestan and Chechnya, RBC said, adding the statistics could be skewed because those regions have worse access to medical care.
An Environmental Performance Index (EPI) study in 2016 ranked Russia 72nd out of 180 countries for air pollution.
The study said that Russia is “likely overachieving compared to economic peers due to recession rather than ambitious climate efforts.”