Austerity and health in Europe: disentangling the causal links

The global financial crisis of 2007/08 put increased financial strain on health systems across Europe, and many countries enacted fiscal consolidation measures,1 commonly referred to as ‘austerity.’ A large body of evidence has documented the consequences of these reforms on population health, and the role of health systems as key mediating institutions.1 –4 Nonetheless, these studies insufficiently disentangle how different levels of policymaking influence health outcomes, and often focus on the short-term effects of austerity.
Source: The European Journal of Public Health - Category: General Medicine Source Type: research