During a live broadcast the Head of the regional Ministry of Public Health Tatyana Belyayeva said that Dagestan took leading positions in life expectancy among Russian regions. "We have been holding this bar for many years and today we are reaching the leading positions" the minister said. According to the data of the Ministry, the average life expectancy in the republic is more than 79 years. According to Tatyana Belyaeva, many factors have influenced this indicator. Among the most important are the organization and accessibility of medical care. In particular, geriatric offices have been opened for the elderly, where senior citizens can be observed. The nursing rate of newborns has increased and, as a consequence, infant mortality has decreased. Mortality rate from socially significant diseases also remains low.