Why did the collapse of communism lead to increased mortality in Eastern Europe?

The move from communism to market economies brought severe economic hardship for many people, including poverty and unemployment. At the same time, access to health care and other social supports weakened, contributing to increased deaths. This makes C, “Many people experienced poverty, and there were no free health services,” the best answer; widespread fighting or poorly trained doctors was not the main cause.

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.