even compared to other former soviet economies the latvian system is underresourced estonia and lithuania for example spend approximately of gdp more on health whilst also limiting the feasibility of longerterm reform underfunding is also harming latvians health today as evidenced by the numbers foregoing health care and late treatment of diseases as a result if national health and wellbeing is a priority for latvia more public money will need to be directed to its health system population ageing is progressing more slowly than in many oecd countries but is nonetheless complicating the diseaseburden and adding pressure to the health system at the same time prevalence of communicable diseases such as hiv remains high