Report
(Brussels) According to the joint report of the EU Commission and OECD, called “Health at a Glance: Europe 2016”, life expectancy is by now over 80 years in most of the EU member states. Such record-breaking figure “however is not always synonym with years lived in good health”, the European Commission commented. In the EU, “approximately 50 million citizens suffer from several chronic conditions, and over half a million people of working age die from such conditions every year, costing approximately 115 billion euros a year on the economies” of the member states. The European commissioner for health and food security, Vytenis Andriukaitis, stated: “The ‘Health at a Glance’ report gives the member states useful details that can affect healthcare measures in any political area. It shows that many people die in the EU every year from potentially avoidable conditions that are associated with risk factors such as smoking or obesity. It also points to the need to provide better access to healthcare”. The report states: “Health systems must be more effective: 550 thousand people of working age die every year from potentially-avoidable conditions. 16 % of adults are obese (versus 11 % in 2000), and one out of five is a smoker. Many lives could be saved if more resources were concentrated first and foremost on strategies for the promotion of health and the prevention of disease”.
