The Health and Consumer Protection Directorate of the European Commission recently published a study paper on “The contribution of health to the economy in the European Union”.
In the words of Commissioner Markos Kyprianou, the publication “confirms the high cost falling on Europe’s economies as a result of illness [...]. Of particular relevance to Europe, with its ageing population, [the authors] show how poor health increases the likelihood of early retirement. Taken together, this evidence provides a powerful argument for European governments to invest in the health of their populations, not only because better health is a desirable objective in its own right, but also because it is an important determinant of economic growth and competitiveness”.
The authors conclude that “there is much evidence documenting the positive contribution that health can make to the economy in EU Member States. At the same time [...] it is a highly under-researched area, a factor that simultaneously reflects and promotes an inadequate recognition that health can also be good for the economy in rich countries”.
About the authors
Marc Suhrcke is an economist at the European Office for Investment for Health and Development of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Martin McKee is Professor of European Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Research Director at the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies.
Regina Sauto Arce is Research Fellow at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS).
Svetla Tsolova is Research Fellow at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS).
Jørgen Mortensen is Associate Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS).
