Health promotion and disease prevention
Health promotion and disease prevention: Towards sustainable economic and social growth
AEIP Reflection Paper
February 2014
Health is at the core of social protection and it represents almost a third of social policy budgets across EU countries.
However, the current economic crisis requires countries to undertake budgetary measures, leading to cuts in health spending. Indeed, in Europe many Member States consolidate government budget balances across the EU[1]. Studies show that in OECD countries, health spending per capita increased by 5% a year during a period 2000-2009 but then started to decrease reaching zero growth in 2010 as countries started applying budgetary cuts.[2].
[1] According to the WHO policy briefs, some Member States reduced their health spending as a policy responses to the economic crisis between 2007 and 2011. WHO (2012) Health policy responses to the financial crisis in Europe. WHO Policy Summary 5
[2] Health spending increased by 5% a year in OECD countries in the period from 2000 – 2009, but a zero growth was noted in 2010, as countries started applying budgetary cuts. OECD Health Data 2012