At its plenary session of 8 March 2011, the European Parliament adopted the ‘Report on Health Inequalities’, drafted by rapporteur MEP Estrela. The Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME) warmly welcomes the adoption of this report as a step towards committed action against health inequalities in Europe.

Health inequalities between Member States and within Member States remain of the utmost concern to doctors. The significance of social determinants in access to high quality healthcare is amplified by the current economic and financial climate, in which budgetary restrictions further aggravate existing inequalities between socio-economic groups. CPME therefore welcomes the emphasis the European Parliament’s report places on the need to tackle inequalities resulting from social determinants and  especially appreciates the holistic approach the report shows. CPME President Dr Radziwill highlighted : “The only way to efficiently tackle the problem of health inequalities is to make ‘equity and health in all policies’ a reality. The approach must be coordinated and based on social, economic and environmental determinants of health”.

CPME is also glad to read the explicit reference made to the inequalities experienced by the most vulnerable groups in society who often face discrimination in access to healthcare, either in law or in fact. CPME underlines that the right to highest attainable standard of healthcare is universal. Ensuring equitable access for all, including undocumented migrants, all children and pregnant women must be a primary objective in combating health inequalities.

CPME hopes that this report will catalyse the awareness and dedication this topic deserves and prove a successful framework for concrete actions without discrimination linked to administrative or socio-economic status.

“The European Union with its emphasis on equal rights for all should lead the world in terms of providing an equal access to high quality and safe health care to all in need”, CPME President said.

For more information, please contact:

Birgit BEGER
CPME Secretary General
Tel.: +32 2 732 72 02
Fax: +32 2 732 73 44
e-mail: secretariat@cpme.eu

For more information about CPME, consult our website: http://www.cpme.eu