EHFG 2013: EUROPE’S HEALTH SYSTEMS MUST BE MADE CRISIS-PROOF
Date
Sections
The economic crisis and austerity programmes have had a serious impact on health budgets and on general standards of health. How can Europe’s health systems be made more resilient in the face of such crises? This question is the focus of discussions at the 16th European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG), which opened today in Bad Hofgastein. Social development and prosperity will be put at risk if austerity programmes begin to pose a danger to health systems, warned Professor Helmut Brand, President of the EHFG. For this reason, health policy must be geared towards promoting resilience and innovation.
EHFG 2013: INNOVATION IN HEALTH CARE SHOULD SLOW DOWN COSTS, NOT ACCELERATE THEM
Inertia, rigidity and opposition to innovation are central problems for the health care systems of many industrialised countries according to US economist Prof. Uwe Reinhardt. These systems have to become agile to remain affordable. There is a need for creative and radical solutions to redistribute economic privileges in the health care sector, for example, innovations in financing and administration. But suitable incentives and penalties should also be used so people themselves take greater personal responsibility.
EHFG 2013: PROBLEMATIC ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION DAMAGING EUROPE’S ECONOMIES
Problematic alcohol use is responsible for annual productivity losses of 74 billion euros across the EU, according to experts at the European Health Forum Gastein. Flexible, cost-effective screening and brief intervention (SBI) measures that are easy to implement in workplaces can help to identify and treat alcohol-related illness.
EHFG 2013: INVESTMENTS IN HEALTH ARE VITAL FOR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC PROSPERITY
Paola Testori Coggi, Director-General of the European Commission's Health and Consumer Directorate, presented the Commission's initiative “Investing in Health” at the European Health Forum Gastein. This sees sustainable health systems as key in creating growth and in building capacity to meet the challenges of economic crisis and demographic change. Smart investments in health enable people to lead productive and active lives and play a significant part in fighting poverty.
EHFG 2013: UNDERESTIMATED PSYCHOSOCIAL BURDENS FROM DIABETES
The OECD countries have 83 million people suffering from diabetes; by 2030 this figure will increase to 100 million. Experts at the European Health Forum Gastein criticised the fact that the massive psychosocial effects of the disease on diabetics and their families are largely underestimated.
EHFG 2013: KNOWLEDGE TRANSLATION – BRIDGING THE GAP BEEHGFTWEEN SCIENTIFIC FINDINGS AND HEALTH POLICY
Experts meeting at the European Health Forum Gastein today identified the poor integration of research findings into health policies as one of the main reasons for weak performance of public health systems. Delegates discussed a number of theoretical approaches and presented some practical initiatives aimed at making it easier for health policymakers to incorporate scientific discoveries.
If you no longer wish to be contacted via email about press conferences/press releases, please send an email to the address: office@bkkommunikation.com with „De-register“ in the subject box. Please include only your name and email address as text. Your details will then be deleted from our distribution list.