Health Trends in Europe

Chronic diseases

Countries of the European Union have witnessed a wide gulf in the standards of living of different people, which has resulted in glaring inequalities in income, schooling, housing & employment. In spite of having seen considerable improvements in the standards of health, the social inequality factor tends to affect the health of the population both directly & indirectly.

Chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease & cerebro-vascular disease (CVD) are the most common causes of death in Europe. Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is the most common heart issues, & the leading cause of death in Europe except in Greece, Macedonia & Portugal. It is also been noted that mortality rate amongst men due to heart disease is higher than in ladies.

Death rate due to cancer is also on the rise in the EU. Lung cancer due to smoking tops the list among men & breast cancer, among ladies. The list of cancer related deaths is topped by Hungary, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ireland & Sweden.

Another leading cause of death in EU is diabetes, which is also an important risk factor for CVD. 50% of the population is unaware of their diabetic condition, when they have it.

Other illnesses that fall in to the section of chronic diseases in the EU are liver disease & respiratory illnesses. Liver disorders affect men in particular & are attributed to alcohol consumption. Alcohol intake is the reason for premature deaths & ill health in the EU. The United Kingdom & Finland have seen an alarming rise in liver illnesses since 1980.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) & pneumonia are the respiratory illnesses, other than lung cancer widely seen in the EU. Men are more liable to COPD than ladies. In the last 30 years, there has been a substantial decline in the number of deaths from acute respiratory infection among children under the age of. This has been noted with special regard to CEE countries, Baltic States & Portugal.

Obesity

Communicable diseases

of the growing causes of concerns in the EU is its fat population. Over 50% of the population is fat because of the high calorie food intake. The number has tripled in the last0 years. A dicy trend is the rising number of fat children in EU countries.

A significant health threat is still posed by lots of communicable diseases. There has been growth in HIV & tuberculosis cases. The governments of Balkan countries like Romania, Estonia, Latvia, & Lithuania have given high priority for controlling TB. Concern regarding the rise of other STIs like chlamydial, gonorrhoea & syphilis, from the mid- 1990s is also on the rise.

Mental health

EU governments have prioritized mental health facilities & policies. Various mental disorders form 20% of the illnesses prevalent in Europe. Although CEE countries have reported a decline in cases related to mental disorders, there has been an increase in the number of alcoholics, victims of various kinds of abuse & those who commit suicide. Statistics also point towards early retirement due to various mental disorders.