Health at a Glance: Europe 2016

This publication is the result of a close co-operation between the OECD and the European Commission and is the first step in the Commission's "State of Health in the EU" initiative to strengthen country-specific and EU-wide knowledge on health issues. The content, including the selection of key indicators of health and health systems, was agreed upon by the OECD and the Commission, based mainly on the European Core Health Indicators (ECHI), the Joint Assessment Framework on Health, and using the 2014 Commission Communication on effective, accessible and resilient health systems as reference framework. Its preparation was led by the OECD, but the Commission provided support throughout its preparation.

Life expectancy across EU member states has increased by more than six years since 1990, rising from 74.2 years in 1990 to 80.9 years in 2014, yet inequalities persist both across and within countries. People in Western European countries with the highest life expectancy continue to live over eight years longer, on average, than people in Central and Eastern European countries with the lowest life expectancy. Within countries, large inequalities in health and life expectancy also persist between people with higher levels of education and income and the more disadvantaged. This is largely due to different exposure to health risks, but also to disparities in access to high-quality care.

More than 1.2 million people in EU countries died in 2013 from illnesses and injuries that might have been avoided through more effective public health and prevention policies or more timely and effective health care. A wide range of actions are needed to address the many environmental and behavioural risk factors that are leading to premature deaths from diseases such as acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), lung cancer, stroke, alcohol-related deaths and other potentially avoidable deaths. Notable progress has been achieved in reducing tobacco consumption in most EU countries through a mix of public awareness campaigns, regulations and taxation. Yet, more than one in five adults in EU countries continues to smoke every day. It is also important to step up efforts to tackle the harmful use of alcohol and obesity, which are growing public health issues in many EU countries. More than one in five adults in EU countries reported in 2014 heavy alcohol drinking at least once a month. And one in six adults across EU countries was obese in 2014, up from one in nine in 2000.

The quality of care has generally improved in most EU countries, yet disparities persist. Improved treatments for life-threatening conditions such as heart attacks, strokes and several types of cancer have led to higher survival rates, but there is still room in many countries to improve the implementation of best practices in acute care and chronic care.

Download: Health at a Glance: Europe 2016 (2.447 KB).

Download from eHealthNews.eu: Health at a Glance: Europe 2016 (2.447 KB).

Most Popular Now

ChatGPT Shows 'Impressive' Acc…

A new study led by investigators from Mass General Brigham has found that ChatGPT was about 72 percent accurate in overall clinical decision making, from coming up with possible diagnoses...

WiFi SPARK's Healthcare Business Re…

Leading WiFi provider WiFi SPARK is rebranding its healthcare arm as SPARK Technology Services Limited. The new identity marks the completion of the integration of the former Hospedia bedside unit...

Online AI-Based Test for Parkinson'…

An artificial intelligence (AI) tool developed by researchers at the University of Rochester can help people with Parkinson's disease remotely assess the severity of their symptoms within minutes. A study...

ChatGPT is Debunking Myths on Social Med…

ChatGPT could help to increase vaccine uptake by debunking myths around jab safety, say the authors of a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Human Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics. The researchers asked...

AI Performs Comparably to Human Readers …

Using a standardized assessment, researchers in the UK compared the performance of a commercially available artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm with human readers of screening mammograms. Results of their findings were...

Siemens Healthineers Expands Production …

Siemens Healthineers is expanding its site in Rudolstadt, Germany. By mid 2024, a new manufacturing building will be built on the site. The new manufacturing plant will produce electron accelerators...

More Cases of Breast Cancer Detected wit…

One radiologist supported by AI detected more cases of breast cancer in screening mammography than two radiologists working together, reports the ScreenTrustCAD study from Karolinska Institutet in The Lancet Digital...

ChatGPT Performs as Well as Doctors for …

The artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT performed as well as a trained doctor in suggesting likely diagnoses for patients being assessed in emergency medicine departments, in a pilot study to be...

Smartphone Technology Expected to Advanc…

Since the 1980s, we have known that neurological soft signs (NSS) can distinguish people with schizophrenia from psychiatrically healthy individuals. NSS are subtle neurological impairments that principally manifest as decreased...

AI may Outperform Most Humans at Creativ…

Large language model (LLM) artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots may be able to outperform the average human at a creative thinking task where the participant devises alternative uses for everyday objects...

MEDICA 2023 + COMPAMED 2023: "Where…

13 - 16 November 2023, Düsseldorf, Germany. The medical technology market is in worldwide motion and the signs ahead of MEDICA 2023 and COMPAMED 2023 in Düsseldorf as the internationally leading...

AI and Machine Learning can Successfully…

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can effectively detect and diagnose Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), which is the most common hormone disorder among women, typically between ages 15 and...