Health in the EU

This week, in light of World Cancer Day on 4th February, we take a look at what media in Poland, France, Germany, and Spain say about the health situation in the EU.Polish cancer treatment

Cancer mortality rates in Poland are higher than in most European countries, and Wyborcza.pl explains that this is largely due to the lack of information exchange between hospitals and the Ministry of Health on how advanced the disease is in diagnosed patients. Hospitals do not report on the stage of cancer in the moment of diagnosis and in consequence it is difficult to assess how effective the treatment is in each individual case. Doctors around the world use the so-called TNM staging system to define the extent of the spread of cancer. However, as Wyborcza.pl explains, in Poland, the use of the TNM scale is not obligatory and doctors are barely familiar with it. In addition, the time it takes to run the tests is extremely long, which lowers the chances of recovery.



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What’s wrong with the French health system?

According to Les Echos, France has moved down in the European ranking of health care systems, the Euro Health Consumer Index (EHCI). Once at the top of the tanking, France is now in 11th place, below countries such as Spain, Italy and Sweden. The rankinglooks at 46 criteria to determine how effective the health care system in each country is. Even though France performs well in some areas, its overall result is mediocre. Nevertheless, public opinion regarding the matter does not mirror the negative outcome. Les Echos recalls a study commissioned by Deloitte, which shows that around 81% of the French are satisfied with healthcare in France. That’s because despite the system being deficient in some areas, the access to healthcare is easy and promotes equality. Les Echos suggests that maybe if France advertised more the benefits of its health system, other states would realise that the situation is not as bad as indicated by international rankings.



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Costly cancer treatment in Spain

On the occasion of World Cancer Day, El País uncovers how much it actually costs to treat cancer in Spain. The article evokes a study carried out by the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC), which reveals that the total costs of treatment, medications and other direct and indirect expenses add up to around €19.3 billion per year, an equivalent of the entire budget of Madrid. The study points out that these costs could be reduced by €9 billion with a healthier lifestyle, which can help avoid certain types of cancer. According to the study, the implementation of early detection can save another €1 billion. The article points out that the total cost of cancer treatment varies depending on the type of tumor and stage of the disease. In addition to the direct medical costs, a patient has to think of indirect expenses generated by, for example, reduced ability to work which consequently makes them have less income.



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The EU plan to tackle cancer

For World Cancer Day on 4th February, the European Commission has announced that it will launch a new initiative to fight cancer in the EU. Deutsche Welle reports that the full plan will be presented by the end of 2020 and will aim to stop cancer deaths in the EU by 2040. Deutsche Welle talked to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who described the plan as a three-pronged approach that aims to advance early detection measures, make early screening more accessible, and spend more on medical technologies. What’s more, von der Leyen also highlighted the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The survival rates of cancer patients vary across the European states, so the first step of the plan is to consult doctors, scientists, advocacy groups and political leaders to come up with common goals and methods.





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