The PONS study and its place in the strategy of health gain in Poland.

After 30 years (1960-1990) of adult health decline, since the beginning of the political and economic transformation in the early 1990s.a dramatic reversal of health trends is being observed in Poland, In contrast, in the countries of Western Europe, a significant, steady health gain has been observed already since the end of World War II. At the beginning of the 21 st century one in three men in Poland still do not reach the age of 65, which dramatically contrasts with the one-digit premature mortality in Western Europe (EU15). In Poland very high proportion of this mortality (men ~30%, women ~15%) occur in working age population hampering social and economic development. Non-communicable diseases and risk factors (smoking, drinking, obesity) are major cause of heath inequality and contribute to poverty. This health gap, leading to an over-proportional loss of human capital in Eastern Europe, is one of the most crucial challenges for the European Union during the period of economic crisis.