Adoption by the European Parliament of the report on the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion

Yesterday, the European Parliament adopted the report on “The European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion”. EuroHealthNet hopes that the platform will prove a key move towards concrete action against poverty and social exclusion across a broad range of policies.
 

The health of EU citizens is determined by the conditions in which they are born, grow, live, work and age. These circumstances, which are shaped by policy choices, are mostly responsible for health inequalities – the unfair and avoidable differences in health status between and within countries. Health inequalities persist across the EU, within and between Member States, and there is evidence that they are widening.  They result in:

1. Life expectancy gaps: Between EU Member States there is a 5-fold difference in deaths of babies under one year of age, a 14 year gap in life expectancy at birth for men and an 8 year gap for women;
2. Significant economic costs: Health inequalities related losses have a significant impact on productivity. They have been estimated to cost around €141 billion annually;
3. Increased poverty and social exclusion: Health, poverty and social exclusion are strongly interrelated: ill health can lead to social exclusion while the conditions of poverty and social exclusion often lead to ill health. These are often cyclical and, in many cases, are passed on across generations. Over 80 million people currently live in poverty in the EU.
 

The EU Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion will aim to improve access to work, social security, education and essential services such as healthcare. EuroHealthNet strongly supports these priorities which will not only contribute to the EU 2020 objectives but also enhance individual well-being.

“Good health contributes to sustainable economic development, including through improving inclusion, labour market participation and productivity. In turn, improved living and working conditions have contributed to an increase in the wellbeing and life expectancy of the whole EU population. Thus health and social progress is interdependent.” says Clive Needle, EuroHealthNet Director. Extending working lives by wider entry into labour markets, good health during working years and appropriate retirement are preconditions for increasing the employment rates of all generations. Health promotion and disease prevention are therefore of utmost significance to help achieve smart, sustainable and inclusive growth by 2020.
 

For more information, contact Stecy Yghemonos at s.yghemonos@eurohealthnet.eu

To access the report adopted by the European Parliament, click here.