Unfair health differences hitting EU economy hard, says new report

Avoidable health inequalities are harming the European economy, a new Determine report has found.

The report cites evidence of how preventable ill health led to productivity losses costing an estimated €141 billion in 2004.

Additionally, number of life years lost due to deaths that can be attributed to health inequalities in the EU is approximately 11.4 million, according to a study for the European Commission carried out by Professor Mackenbach.

“There are strong economic arguments for investing in health at population level,” according to Determine coordinator Ingrid Stegeman.

The document also cites examples of several interventions which demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of action on health determinants.

The benefits of walking and cycling track networks in Norwegian are estimated to outweigh costs by a factor of 4.5:1.

Similarly, in Scotland, if 40% of all short journeys were switched from car to bicycle, it would result in an estimated saving of at least £2 billion per year due to reduced mortality.

These findings add weight to the existing momentum for EU action to improve the social and economic determinants of health.

“Since economic and social cohesion and solidarity are amongst the main objectives of the EU...all broadly relevant EU policies and programmes should be assessed as to whether they contribute to this goal,” said Clive Needle, Director of EuroHealthNet.

The report was written by Teresa Lavin and Owen Metcalfe of the Institute of Public Health in Ireland, and forms part of the Determine project being coordinated by EuroHealthNet.

Determine is an EU-funded consortium of representatives from 26 EU countries, working towards strengthening the knowledge base on policies and actions on health inequalities.

This report and additional evidence from Determine will be presented at a high-level meeting in Paris on health inequalities.

The meeting will also feature a presentation by Sir Michael Marmot, Chair of the WHO Commission on the Social Determinants of Health.

French Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin will also participate.

To download the Determine report, please visit the EU health inequalities portal here.

The programme of the Paris conference on health inequalities can be accessed here.