The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has published Health at a Glance: Europe 2024, outlining the major challenges facing European health systems in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report focuses on two linked pivotal themes: addressing health workforce shortages and promoting healthy longevity.
Five key messages were identified in the report:
• Urgent action is needed to address health workforce shortages in Europe
• Promoting healthy longevity can reduce the burden on health and long-term care systems
• Significant life expectancy gaps persist across countries and the health of young people is an enduring concern
• Progress in addressing lifestyle risk factors has stalled, with persistent socio-economic disparities
• EU countries have made gradual improvements in health crisis preparedness, but significant challenges remain in building public trust and combatting anti-microbial resistance.
The report notes that across the EU, nearly 8 million people have Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia in 2021, according to the Global Burden of Disease study. It further highlights that for people aged over 70, over 9% of people have Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia, being 3% among people aged 70-74 to 18% for people aged over 80. The report notes that up to 45% of dementia cases could be avoided by addressing 14 modifiable risk factors, citing the 2024 Lancet Commission and its recommendations for actions to promote prevention.
Additionally, the report notes that dementia (including Alzheimer’s disease) is the most important cause of healthy life years lost due to disability among older people in the EU. In addition, it notes that accidental falls account for a large number of years of life lost due to disability among older people. The biennial Health at a Glance: Europe report is the first part of the European Commission’s “State of Health in the EU”. The second part is the Country Health Profiles, which is next expected in 2025 The full EU Health at a Glance report is available at:
https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/health-at-a-glance-europe-2024_b3704e14-en/full-report.html
