The Impact of Under-investment on health in Southern and Central Eastern European Countries

Expert Rev Pharmacoecon Outcomes Res. 2023 Oct 5. doi: 10.1080/14737167.2023.2267766. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTINTRODUCTION: Better health improves human capital and is a driver to economic growth. The allocation of resources to national health systems should be prioritized as investment and not expense/cost.AREAS COVERED: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of Underinvestment on Medicines and Health in the Southern and Central Eastern European Countries. Two main databases were used for the purpose of this paper. Time series macro data covering the period 1960-2021, and micro data from SHARE survey for 322,724 individuals aged 50 and over from the European Countries.EXPERT OPINION: Evidence across the Southern and Central Eastern Èuropean Member States reveals the significant underinvestment in health and medicines and the need for policy intervention to improve access and health outcomes. Further reductions in healthcare budgets would increase unmet needs the prevalence of multimorbidity and the out-of-pocket burden on households leading to catastrophic payments for medicines and health care services. Public health actions should be undertaken by the International Organizations and National Governments to bridge the gap in health investment, by improving access, tackling health inequalities and reducing the burden of catastrophic paymants.PMID:37795862 | DOI:10.1080/14737167.2023.2267766
Source: Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research - Category: Health Management Authors: Source Type: research