This volume investigates the prevalence and distribution of potentially avoidable deaths across European Community nations to assess the effectiveness of regional health services. Walter W. Holland, a prominent figure in public health research, compiles data from the EC Concerted Action Project to identify mortality patterns that could be mitigated through improved medical intervention. The text provides a comparative framework for evaluating health outcomes across different national systems during the late 1980s.

Experts recognize this atlas as a foundational reference for historical public health surveillance and comparative European health policy. Readers frequently note the technical density of the statistical data and the specialized nature of the cartographic methodology employed.