Historical public health in central Europe with special reference to Hungary. Long-term environmental effects of a historical cataclysm

Hungary, in the centre of Carpathian Basin grapples with numerous challenges in order to improve catastrophic indices of environmental conditions of the country, as well as the state of health of the population. Some of these problems are subjects of financial and health policy, and can be solved internally. The remaining environmental problems can only be remedied by cooperation with neighbouring younger countries. This vitally important cooperation is hampered by severe historical conflicts burdening even the present political affiliations. The authors give a short introduction and explanation of the recent sensitive situation in this Central European region, as a late consequence of an historical cataclysm happened more than nine decades ago.