Lifespan is increasing in Europe, but still too many deaths are linked to preventable factors. Prevention must take a greater place in budgets.
Life expectancy is increasing in Europe. Now, an EU resident lives on average 80.9 years. But this good result masks serious disparities between the populations. In a joint report, the European Commission of the OECD recalled that not all populations benefit from the same access to care. As proof, half a million people of working age have died from chronic disease. Heart attacks, strokes, diabetes… so many pathologies that can be prevented.
In total, more than a million deaths could be avoided in Europe. In question, factors badly taken care of. Thus, one in five inhabitants consumes large doses of alcohol on a weekly basis. Overweight is another factor that promotes the emergence of metabolic or cardiovascular pathologies.
Disadvantaged men
Faced with these risks, some countries are clearly disadvantaged. France, for example, is less affected by obesity. In contrast, its residents smoke more than the rest of Europe. But inequalities can also be observed within national borders.
People with a low level of education or on a low income are at a disadvantage: they are exposed to a tenfold risk of forgoing care. Compared to the best endowed budgets, the life expectancy of poor households is reduced by 7 years. The global financial crisis did not help the situation, Greece serving as a sad example. As such, French social protection provides a definite advantage. It ensures, in fact, a good quality of care at a moderate cost for households.
Ensuring the accessibility of primary care in the territories, particularly those underprivileged, would reduce avoidable hospitalizations, confirms the OECD. But that’s not the only problem. Men are also lagging behind in terms of life expectancy. The risk factors remain preponderant in the male population. Weak prevention efforts do not help reduce this gap with women. France is clearly at the bottom of the ranking: 5 years separate the lifespan between the sexes. A gap that cannot be bridged.
More prevention
Only 3% of the national health budget is devoted to prevention and public health campaigns within the European Union. France is below average in this area. The OECD ordinance is simple: it is necessary to invest more in this sector. “In the EU, a large number of people die each year from preventable diseases linked to risk factors such as smoking and obesity,” recalls European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitis. At the heart of the target: adolescents, whose current behaviors will define the evolution to come.
The balance may be difficult to find between prevention and care. Currently, France devotes 11% of its GDP to health spending. It is at the top of the ranking, alongside Germany and Sweden. This share is expected to increase due to the aging of the population, but also to the emergence of diagnostic and treatment technologies.
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