Archive:Sustainable development - public health
- Data from July 2009, most recent data: Further Eurostat information, Database.
This article provides an overview of statistical data on sustainable development in the area of Public Health. They are based on the set of sustainable development indicators the European Union agreed upon for monitoring its sustainable development strategy. Together with similar indicators for other areas, they make up the report 'Sustainable development in the European Union - 2009 monitoring report of the EU sustainable development strategy', which Eurostat draws up every two years to provide an objective statistical picture of progress towards the goals and objectives set by the EU sustainable development strategy and which underpins the European Commission’s report on its implementation. More detailed information on public health indicators, such as indicator relevance, definitions, methodological notes, background and potential linkages, can be found on page 173-193 of abovementioned publication.
The table below summarizes the state of affairs of in the area of public health. Quantitative rules applied consistently across indicators, and visualized through weather symbols, provide a relative assessment of whether Europe is moving in the right direction, and at a sufficient pace, given the objectives and targets defined in the strategy.
Overview of main changes
The developments in the public health theme present a rather inconsistent picture. On the one hand, the headline indicator shows that people are not only living longer, but also living longer in good health. Improvements are also visible in reductions in deaths due to chronic diseases, suicides, annoyance by noise, and serious accidents at work. On the other hand, data clearly show that there remain challenges ahead related to the environmental determinants of health. Since 2000 people in the EU have been more exposed to ozone as well as to particulate matter. Nevertheless, the production of toxic chemicals, which has long been on an unfavourable path, has recently started to develop in a more favourable direction.
Main statistical findings
Headline indicators
Healthy life years
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The number of years that men and women in the EU-25 are expected to live in a healthy condition has increased slightly between 2005 and 2007. A child born in 2006 would be expected to live 62 years free of disability and for 65-year-olds there is an expectation of a further nine years in good health
Life expectancy at birth is six years higher for women than men, but at the age of 65 the difference is 3½ years
Although the average life expectancy at birth is some six years higher for women than men, a child of either sex born in 2006 would be expected to live, on average, 62 years free of disability. For 65-year-olds, there is an expectation of a further nine years in good health, and the difference in life expectancy between the sexes has fallen to three-and-a-half years.
The gap between women and men is narrowing
EU-25 life expectancies at birth grew at an annual average rate of 0.3 % for women and 0.4 % for men over the period 2002 to 2006, women reaching 82.4 years and men 76.3 years in 2006. The growth rates at age 65 were somewhat higher, representing 1.2 % on average for women and 1.5 % for men, from 2002 to 2006. The differential between the female and the male growth rate has narrowed the gap between the two sexes.
Healthy life years are growing faster than life expectancy both at birth and at age 65 for men, whilst the contrary is true for women. Healthy life years at birth in the EU 25 grew at 0.2 % per year on average for females, compared to 0.7 % for males over the period 2005 to 2007.
Health and health inequalities
Deaths due to chronic diseases
Between 2000 and 2006, deaths due to chronic diseases have significantly fallen for under 65s in the EU-27
'Deaths due to chronic diseases have been steadily decreasing'
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The majority of the population in high and middle income countries dies from chronic diseases. In the population aged under 65 years, deaths due to chronic diseases occur much less frequently than in the older population but still account for nearly 60 % of all deaths. The trend of deaths due to chronic diseases in the population aged less than 65 years has developed favourably between 2000 and 2006. They have decreased by 1.9 % per year in the EU-27 and at a slightly higher pace (2.0 %) in the EU-15. However, the average decline in the EU-15 has slowed down compared to the previous six years (1994-2000), when it was 2.4 % per year.
Deaths due to chronic diseases are almost twice as common for men than for women, but the gap has slowly narrowed between 2000 and 2006 (average annual declines: 2.1 % men, 1.7 % women). One reason for the closing gap could be the increasing efforts at both national and Community level to promote healthier lifestyles, such as healthy eating, taking regular exercise, better managing stress and avoiding harmful habits such as smoking and alcohol consumption.
Suicides
Suicide deaths have significantly declined between 2000 and 2006 in the EU 27. While progress has been seen amongst the youngest and, especially, the oldest age groups, the suicide rate has risen slightly in the 50-54 age group
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Suicide rates vary between age groups
The suicide death rate is an indicator of mental health. Overall, it declined favourably in the EU-27 between 2000 and 2006 by an annual average of 2.2 %, although there are differences across age groups. While in the EU-27 suicides in the young group aged 15-19 years and particularly in the oldest group aged over 85 years have fallen by 2.8 % and 4.8 % per year respectively, a countertrend among people aged 50-54 years can be observed. In this age group suicide deaths have slightly risen by 0.5 % per year on average.
Suicide is more common amongst men than women
Suicide death rates vary not only across age groups but also between the sexes, and are roughly three times more common amongst men than women in the young and middle-age group and five times more common in the oldest age group. However, the gap between men and women is closing as suicides by men have been declining at a faster pace.
Strong variations between Member States
The rates and their developments also vary considerably across Member States. While many of the northern and north-eastern Member States show the highest rates, there have also been substantial declines in most of these countries. However, in some Member States suicides tended to increase since 2000.
Unmet needs for healthcare
The share of people reporting that they could not afford a medical examination or treatment is higher in the lower income groups, which is indicative of inequalities in access to health care between income groups
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The cost of medical treatment is an obstacle to the poorest people in some Member States
This indicator highlights the inequalities in access to medical care across income classes. Less than 1 % of the highest income group perceive themselves as unable to afford a medical examination or treatment when they need it. In general this is also the case at the Member State level. As income decreases the proportion of those who consider expense as an obstacle to seeking medical care increases. The extent of this gradient across income groups varies considerably by country. It is negligible in Denmark, Slovenia and the UK and rather high in Latvia, Portugal and Romania.
Although changes in the questionnaire between the annual surveys in some Member States prevent the evaluation of progress in this indicator over time, the gradient across income groups is consistent throughout the survey period.
Determinants of health
Production of toxic chemicals
There has been a moderately favourable decrease in the production of toxic chemicals between 2004 and 2007 in the EU-25
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Production of toxic chemicals has decreased slightly since 2004 and there has been a shift towards less toxicity
Since 2004 the production of toxic chemicals in the EU-25 has slightly decreased, by 0.3 % per year on average. There has also been a favourable shift away from the production of the most toxic chemicals towards safer products. The share of toxic chemicals in the total production of chemicals in the EU-25 decreased by 2.1 percentage points between 2004 and 2007.
A longer term view is given by data for EU-15. From 1995 to 2000 production of total toxic chemicals in the EU-15 grew at an unfavourable rate of 3 % on average per year, with the strongest growth occurring in the most toxic classes. This trend has not yet reversed, but production remained relatively stable between 2000 and 2007, with a 0.2 % average annual growth rate over this period. This effect can partly be explained by the global economic downturn of 2001-2003 which resulted in a fall in production for all industrial areas, including chemicals.
In June 2007 a regulation for the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals (REACH) entered into force. The decrease since 2005 suggests that some companies may have already adapted their production in advance.
Exposure to air pollution by particulate matter
Exposure to air pollution by particulate matter has risen slightly in the EU-27 between 2000 and 2007 and there has been no progress towards the 2010 target
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Exposure to airborne particulate matter has not decreased and there has been no progress towards the 2010 target
Between 2000 and 2007, air pollution by particulate matter rose in the EU-27 by 0.5 micrograms per cubic metre. While the 2005 target was easily met, reaching the 2010 target of 20 micrograms will require a yearly decrease of 2.7 micrograms from 2007 onwards.
The peaks in 2003 and 2006 were at least partially due to severe heat waves during those summers. The hot, dry conditions led to stagnant air in which pollutants accumulated. In 2003, at least, conditions were exacerbated by the prevalence of wildfires in south-western Europe producing large quantities of particulates which were then transported to the northern and eastern parts of Europe [1].
Urban exposure to particulates varies from country to country. Apart from sporadic wildfires, the Member States bordering the Mediterranean also suffer from dust blown from North Africa.
Exposure to air pollution by ozone
Exposure to ozone has increased in the EU-27 between 2000 and 2007 by 2.5 % per year on average, with considerable variation from one year to the next
Exposure to ozone has risen, with a peak in 2003
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Although exposure to ozone varies considerably from year to year, overall it has risen at an annual average rate of 2.5 % since the year 2000. The high exposure in the year 2003 is related to the heat wave in that summer [2]. A lesser peak also occurred in 2006 for similar reasons.
Urban exposure to ozone widely varied between countries, partly due to differences in climate and vegetation. In general, southern countries, with higher summer temperatures, such as Greece and Malta show higher exposure levels than the cooler northern countries such as the UK, Finland and the Netherlands. Nevertheless, peaks occurred throughout the EU in 2003 and 2006 due to exceptionally high temperatures in those years. This increase was most pronounced in the northern countries, which showed higher relative increases compared to the southern countries.
Annoyance by noise
Over the short period from 2005 to 2007, the share of people in the EU-27 feeling annoyed by noise declined significantly
The share of population annoyed by noise has been favourably declining, particularly in some eastern Member States
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Between 2005 and 2007, the percentage of the population who declared that they suffer from noise declined by 2.1 % per year on average. Possible explanations for this decline are closedowns of heavy industry, quieter cars resulting from EU legislation (11) , and the replacement of tramways by subways and buses. Although these most recent data cannot be compared directly to the earlier time-series for EU-15, this earlier series is indicative of a longer term trend in the reduction of noise annoyance.
The country split shows that large reductions in noise annoyance have occurred in Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and to a lesser extent in Lithuania, the UK and Luxembourg. On the other hand, in Cyprus, where the degree of annoyance was already high, Estonia, Germany, Greece and Sweden the situation worsened between 2005 and 2007.
Serious accidents at work
With the substantial decrease in serious accidents at work since 2000 across the EU-27 countries, the indicator presents a favourable development
Serious accidents at work are still at a high level but on track to meet the target for 2012
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The incidence of serious accidents at work decreased in the EU-27 by 4.5 % per year on average between 2000 and 2006. This rate of decrease is close to the 5 % per year which will be needed in order to meet the target of an overall reduction of 25 % over the period 2007 to 2012.
This decline should be seen in light of the decline in heavy industry in the EU and the increasing use of automation. Despite this strong downward trend, serious accidents at work remain at a high level: in 2005 there were nearly 4 million serious accidents at work.
Further Eurostat information
Publications
- Sustainable development in the European Union - 2009 monitoring report of the EU sustainable development strategy
- Perception of health and access to health care in the EU-25 in 2007
Database
- Indicators
- Public Health
Dedicated section
Other information
- Commission on Social Determinants of Health, Closing the gap in a generation: health equity through action on the social determinants of health, World Health Organization, Geneva, 2008
- European Commission Major and chronic diseases - Report 2007, Luxembourg, 2008
- European Commission White paper - together for health: a strategic approach for the eU 2008-2013, Brussels, 2007
External links
See also
Notes
- ↑ Hodzic A., Madronich, S., Bohn, B., Masiie, S., Menut, L., and Wiedinmyer, C., ‘Wildfire particulate matter in Europe during summer 2003: meso-scale modeling of smoke emissions, transport and radiative effects’, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2007, Vol. 7, pp. 4705-4760
- ↑ Johnson H., Kovats S., McGregor, G., Stedman, J., Gibbs, M., and Walton, H., ‘The impact of the 2003 heatwave on daily mortality in England and Wales and the use of rapid weekly mortality estimates’, Euro Surveillance, 2005, Vol. 10, pp. 168-171.