Newly released Health at a Glance: Europe 2024 report calls for boosting healthy longevity and strengthening the health workforce
date: 18/11/2024
What is Health at a Glance? What is it analysing?
Health at a Glance is a high-quality comparative analysis of how European health systems are performing. It’s the first deliverable from the 5th cycle of the State of Health in the EU (SoHEU) project, in which the Commission partners with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. Health at a Glance: Europe has been published bi-annually since 2016 as part of the SoHEU project and has become a well-established brand and part of a well-respected series in the field, which the OECD complements with its global edition.
That said, this was very much a group effort involving others in the field – not just DG SANTE and the OECD, but also DG Eurostat, scholars, researchers, health economists, analysts, translators, administrators and assistants across the European Commission. And the report is validated by external experts. The project is funded through the EU4Health Programme.
Was there a special focus in this year’s report?
Yes, this year it focused on two topics – promoting healthy longevity and addressing health workforce shortages. These challenges are interconnected and fundamental to managing the shifting balance between demand and supply capacity in European health systems.
Healthy longevity encompasses enjoying good physical and mental health and being able to interact with others to maintain a healthy social life.
There has been a demographic change, in that the percentage of people aged 65 and older has increased from 16% in 2000 to 21% in 2023 and is expected to rise to nearly 30% by 2050. Average life expectancy in the EU is currently 81.5 years. Although people are living longer, in itself a positive development, that doesn’t mean their golden years are spent in good health: 44% of EU citizens over the age of 65 are living with at least two chronic conditions.
Just as people save up for retirement, they need to start planning for long-term good health by adopting healthy habits and avoid risk factors early on. But even in older age, people can still greatly improve their prospects by maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Yet less than a quarter of people over 65 get enough physical activity.
Looking at the second priority of strengthening the health workforce, the EU is facing a health workforce deficit, with an estimated shortage of 1.2 million doctors, nurses and midwives. Moreover, over one-third of doctors and a quarter of nurses in the EU are aged 55 and over and expected to retire soon.
Another issue highlighted in this chapter is the lack of young people coming up through the ranks to fill these positions. Interest in nursing careers, for example, fell in over half of EU countries between 2018 and 2022.
To ensure that the medical workforce is sufficiently staffed and skilled, we need adequate healthcare planning. To make the most of the existing resources, we will need to apply new models of care, while also supporting the digital and green transitions. This will come at a price - an injection of 0.6% of GDP on average across the EU compared to pre-pandemic levels, according to OECD estimates. While this might seem high, not investing in tomorrow’s health workforce will incur economic and societal costs.
Addressing this workforce conundrum requires a multi-pronged approach – expanding professional training capacity, improving workplace conditions and remuneration and leveraging innovation to increase productivity and competitiveness, such as optimising the skill-mix and harnessing digital technologies and AI. We also need to attract young talent into the profession by boosting incentives and opportunities for new doctors and nurses. Health careers must be made more attractive.
What will be the policy implications of the report?
The report provides policymakers with a high-quality analysis, better health data percolates into policy, and ultimately improves it.
The report highlights the importance of collaboration – not only between health and finance ministries, but also across sectors and among countries – to build sustainable, high-performing and people‑centred health systems. It will be essential to foster competitiveness and innovation within the health sector, positioning it as a driver of economic growth and societal resilience.
Through a continued focus on evidence‑based policy making, European countries can develop resilient health systems that deliver the high-quality, accessible care that all European citizens – regardless of socio‑economic status or geographic location – expect and deserve. This report marks an important step in that journey, providing a reflection and a solid evidence base for the crucial work that lies ahead.
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