Armenia 's transition to a democratic , market-based society began with its independence from the Soviet Union in September 1991 . The collapse of the Soviet economy , combined with the impact of the severe 1988 earthquake , left post-Soviet Armenia in economic shambles . Preventative medicine had been non-existent in Soviet Armenia , and the already limited government-supported healthcare system was totally crippled by the collapse of the USSR . In 1996 Armenia 's Minister of Health identified breast cancer as the nation 's leading cause of cancer deaths among women , but Armenia was incapable of addressing its breast cancer crisis
1988 earthquake
1988 Armenian earthquake
Armenian American Wellness Center