PARIS
Inequalities in health and access to quality care persist in Europe, reveals a report published on Wednesday.
The joint report, by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the European Commission, says that large inequalities in health remain across and within European countries, despite the increase of life expectancy compared to previous generations.
"These are largely due to disparities in access to and quality of care, as well as individual lifestyles and behaviors," revealed the third edition of "Health at a Glance: Europe 2014" report.
The report presents the latest information on health and health systems in 35 European countries, including all EU member states, candidate countries (with the exception of Albania due to limited data availability) and European Free Trade Association countries.
According to the report, in most EU countries, universal health coverage has ensured continued access to health care during the recent economic crisis. But in Bulgaria and Greece, many people lost their insurance coverage, at least temporarily.
"Several countries have seen their coverage for certain health services and goods reduced, and out-of-pocket payments by patients have risen," explains the report.
The report also shows that life expectancy in EU member states has increased by more than five years on average since 1990. “But the gap between those countries with the highest life expectancies (Spain, Italy and France) and those with the lowest (Lithuania, Latvia, Bulgaria and Romania) remains around eight years."
Within all EU countries, highly educated people are likely to live several years longer, in better health, than those with low level of education. This is particularly the case in Central and Eastern Europe.
www.aa.com.tr/en
