On March 7, the Estonian infantry company Estcoy-7 was attacked by anti-government rebels in Afganistan's Southern Helmand province. One Estonian soldier has been slightly wounded in the skirmish. The soldier received medical help in Camp Bastion military base and returned to his unit. Estcoy-7 continues its anti-Taliban operation. Estonian defense forces refused to reveal the name of the soldier and the nature of his injuries. Estonia has taken part in the Afganistan mission since 2003. Up to now, 30 soldiers have been injured and three killed in the operation.
Estonia has placed 42nd among 179 countries of the world in the UN Human Development Index, published in December 2008. The UN Human Development Index covers three aspects 's life expectancy, education and overall well-being. Life expectancy in Estonia is the weakest point, ranking country in the middle of the UN scoreboard. According to professor emeritus Ene-Margit Tiits, Estonia lags behind developed nations in this regard by twenty years. In terms of the education level, Estonia takes a position among the top ten, while the overall well-being, which primary depends on the country's economic development, places the country in 42nd place. Tiits underlined that the UN Human Development reports comes out with a two-year delay and the next two reports will cover the period of fast economic growth. "How Estonia will score in the following years depends on how Estonia copes with the recession," said Tiits.
