The World Health Organization (WHO) unveils this Wednesday its ” European health report », published every three years. Fifty-three countries from Portugal to Russia via Tajikistan have been studied, and the results are divided. While Europeans are now living longer and healthier lives, smoking, alcohol and obesity remain a concern. The number of cancers continues to increase, but mortality linked to the disease is decreasing. Health coverage remains to be improved, according to the WHO.
Between life expectancy and addictions
On average, Europeans would live 77.9 years on average, ie one year longer in 2015 than in 2010. Life expectancy would be 74.6 years for men, against 81.2 years for women. Overall mortality would also have fallen by 25% in 15 years. The number of premature deaths has reached an average of 2% reduction per year, thanks to the orientation of the health policies of the countries towards the treatment of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer and respiratory diseases . Improvements that the WHO considers encouraging.
But smoking, alcohol and obesity remain in his sights. The alcohol consumption of Europeans is the highest in the world, with between 1.1 and 15.2 liters per year and per person. Europe also has the highest smoking rate among adults over the age of 15. Obesity, meanwhile, is constantly increasing: +2.5% between 2010 and 2016.
More cancers, but less deadly
Regarding cancers, in Europe, 2.4% of the population suffered from it in 2014. This is twice as many as in 2000. But depending on the countries concerned, the disparities are strong. In the Nordic countries, the prevalence is 5%, while it drops to 1.8% in the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), from the former former USSR. Does this mean that people are more affected by cancer in Sweden than in Russia? Not really since in fact, these figures reveal a better diagnosis especially in the Nordic countries. Indeed, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark or Iceland would actually have more effective screening programs, according to Claudia Stein, director of information and research at the WHO quoted by AFP : “They identify certain types of cancer well before the appearance of symptoms, which of course favors their treatment but inflates the figures”.
There are also differences depending on the type of cancer. The incidence of breast cancer is on the rise, but it is now better treated. While the number of new cases of cervical cancer is decreasing in the European Union (EU), it is increasing in the CIS. Mortality linked to the disease is also twice as high. Finally, the incidence of cancers of the trachea, bronchi and lungs is experiencing a disparate evolution. For example, it increased by almost 50% in France between 2000 and 2015. In the rest of the EU, the increase is 11%.
However, mortality linked to these cancers has decreased since 2000, with -13%. In France, however, it remains stable with -2%.
“Immense inequalities in Europe”
Despite some positive figures, it remains ” a lot to do “ in terms of health coverage according to the WHO. Inequalities in access to affordable healthcare are “huge in Europe”, she judges. Healthcare costs remain minimal in Western Europe compared to CIS countries. Across the region, total health expenditure reached 8.2% of GDP in 2014. But this figure hides various realities. In Russia, the figure is 7.1%. In Sweden, 11.9%.
The distribution of expenditure between public and private also sheds light on the health policies of the different countries. In Tajikistan, the state provides only 28.88% of health expenditure. In France, it covers 78.2%. In Sweden, 84%. “What we want is that people do not face financial difficulties in accessing the health services they need”explains Claudia Stein, this time in the columns of Figaro.
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