Europe is not uniform with regard to health and health status. Besides, health systems vary significantly between countries and these disparities are not always well recognised.
At the same time, abundant health data and health systems knowledge do exist, and comparing them across borders helps national health policy makers and the international community to get a broader and more accurate picture of how health in the wider Europe varies.
For each country, the WHO reviews the demographic data, the main disease burden, the risk factors, the actors, the service provision, resources, financing system and reforms.
Entitled “Health gaps in the wider Europe: 10 health questions about the EU’s neighbours”, it was officially launched on the 22 June 2006 by the WHO and the United Nations Regional Information Centre (UNRIC) in Brussels.
Dr. Marc Danzon, WHO Regional Director for Europe, focused its intervention about the political dimensions of the health gaps in the wider Europe. He mentioned that the WHO aims to strengthen the heath systems.
Dr. Nata Menabde, WHO/Europe, Deputy Regional Director, described some of the results of the report. There are major differences in the health status of people living in the European Region according to existing data, collected by WHO. However, some common features can be identified: HIV/AIDS prevalence, high level of smoking, cardio-vascular diseases, mental ill health, respiratory diseases and rise of tuberculosis. Healthcare systems were also portrayed as weak.
Josep Figueras, Director, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, presented the differences between national health systems (ie financing, health insurance systems, continuum of care, investment in public health, stewardship of the ministry of health)
The final discussions, moderated by Jan Fischer, Deputy Director, UNRIC, tackled:
the need to include civil society and health NGOs among health stakeholders;
the need to collect comparable data from national levels;
the importance of quality medical education;
the existing in-countries differences in the health status of immigrants and ethnic minorities;
Health inequalities;
Health care professional mobility.
The book can be requested at publicationrequests@euro.who.int
