PHM-Exch> Economic crisis, restrictive policies, and the population's health and health care: The Greek case

[Claudio Schuftan]

** ** ** ** ** ** **
 *Economic crisis, restrictive policies, and the population’s health and
health care:
*

* The Greek case*


 Elias Kondilis, M.D., Ph.D., Stathis Giannakopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., Magda
Gavana, M.D., Ph.D.,
Ioanna Ierodiakonou, M.D., Ph.D., Howard Waitzkin, M.D., Ph.D., and Alexis
Benos, M.D., Ph.D.


*American Journal of Public Health, April 18, 2013
* (online ahead of print) : http://bit.ly/15n1hW1 ****

*Study reveals austerity’s harmful impact on health in Greece*

“……a team of Greek and **U.S.** researchers have vividly chronicled the
harmful public health impacts of the economic austerity measures imposed on
****Greece****’s population in the wake of the global economic crisis.****

Writing in the today’s [Thursday, April 18] American Journal of Public
Health, the researchers cite data showing the economic recession and
subsequent austerity policies in Greece have led to a sharp deterioration
of health services and health outcomes.
Researchers at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in **Greece** and
the **University** of **New Mexico** in the ****United States**** studied
current data on economic and social conditions, utilization of health
services, and health outcomes.****

They found that key public health indicators declined in tandem with the
recession and austerity policies that reduced public services.
For example, between 2007 and 2009, suicide and homicide mortality rates
among men increased by 22.7 percent and 27.6 percent, respectively. Mental
disorders, substance abuse, and infectious diseases showed worsening trends.
****

Despite deteriorating health conditions, cutbacks occurred in government
financing of public services, as the Ministry of Health’s total
expenditures fell by 23.7 percent between 2009 and 2011.****

Meanwhile, due to unemployment and loss of personal income, patients
decreased their use of private medical facilities, and utilization of
already-stressed public inpatient and primary care services rose by 6.2
percent and 21.9 percent, respectively, over a two-year period.
Dr. Elias Kondilis, lead author of the study and a researcher at **Aristotle
** **University**, commented from ****London****, “We were expecting that
these austerity policies would negatively affect health services and health
outcomes, but the results were much worse than we imagined.”
Based on their findings, the authors criticize austerity policies that are
likely to cause deteriorating health conditions in other European countries
and in the ****United States****….”****
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