Promoting social cohesion and convergence

COVID-19: A turning point for upward convergence in health and healthcare in the EU?

Policy brief
Published
30 Meán Fómhair 2021
pdf
Formats and languages
Author(s): 
Maftei, Anamaria; Carstens, Jens; Mascherini, Massimiliano

Príomhthátail

  • From 2008–2019, health outcomes in the EU improved as Member States with modest health expenditures expanded their healthcare spending. By 2019, this enabled these countries (mainly the central and eastern European Member States) to catch up with the top EU spenders.
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  • From 2008–2019, health outcomes in the EU improved as Member States with modest health expenditures expanded their healthcare spending. By 2019, this enabled these countries (mainly the central and eastern European Member States) to catch up with the top EU spenders.
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  • Although the number of practising doctors and nurses grew steadily in the EU between 2008 and 2019, medical staff shortages persisted. The gap between countries widened partly due to the migration of healthcare professionals, and countries with existing labour shortages in healthcare saw their situation deteriorate further, hindering their ability to catch up with the rest of the EU.
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  • The COVID-19 pandemic affected countries differently, leading to huge disparities in the number of infections and deaths. The mitigation strategies adopted by Member States varied in intensity and time frame, highlighting the importance of a coordinated EU exit strategy to achieve faster progress in controlling a pandemic.
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  • The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed structural inequalities in healthcare capacity across Member States. To ensure no-one is left behind in the aftermath of the crisis, translating the healthcare principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights into a reality by increasing healthcare capacity and coverage will be critical.
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  • The COVID-19 pandemic underlined how the EU lacked the tools to manage a severe health crisis. Greater coordination and reporting in the area of health as part of a European Health Union would reinforce the crisis preparedness of the EU. The conference on the Future of Europe is an important opportunity for citizens to have their say on Europe’s health priorities for the future.
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Achoimre

The impact of COVID-19 has moved public health up the EU social policy agenda. As the EU directs its efforts towards establishing a European Health Union to guard against future health crises, this policy brief examines the extent to which the EU achieved upward convergence in terms of health andRead more

The impact of COVID-19 has moved public health up the EU social policy agenda. As the EU directs its efforts towards establishing a European Health Union to guard against future health crises, this policy brief examines the extent to which the EU achieved upward convergence in terms of health and healthcare outcomes, as well as health expenditures and delivery, prior to the pandemic. It also examines convergence patterns in infections and deaths from COVID-19 and in the mitigating measures adopted by the EU and national governments.
The findings indicate that, from 2008 to 2019, the health of EU citizens improved overall, and Member States converged in health outcomes, but disparities in government expenditures and delivery of health services continued to widen. Against this background, the COVID-19 pandemic caused further divergence, with death and infection tolls varying greatly across countries. The policy brief stresses that a European Health Union would ideally not only reinforce the crisis preparedness of the EU but also ultimately enable convergence in health and healthcare indicators across its Member States.

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Formats and languages

  • Report

    Number of pages: 
    32
    Reference no.: 
    EF20026
    ISBN: 
    978-92-897-2195-0
    Catalogue no.: 
    TJ-AR-21-004-EN-N
    DOI: 
    10.2806/166598
    Permalink: 
    eurofound.link/ef20026
    Catalogue info

    COVID-19: A turning point for upward convergence in health and healthcare in the EU?

    Author(s): 
    Maftei, Anamaria; Carstens, Jens; Mascherini, Massimiliano
    Topics: 
    Public services; Promoting social cohesion and convergence; European Pillar of Social Rights; Care; COVID-19; Measuring convergence; Living conditions and quality of life

    Formats

    Cite this publication: 

    Eurofound (2021), COVID-19: A turning point for upward convergence in health and healthcare in the EU? Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.

  • Tables and graphs

    The policy brief contains the following lists of tables and figures.

    List of tables

    Table 1: Determinants of annual growth in health indicators, EU27, 2008–2019
    Table 2: Determinants of annual growth in health expenditures per capita, EU27, 2008–2019

    List of figures

    Figure 1: Convergence in life expectancy at birth, 2008–2019
    Figure 2: Convergence in self-perceived health, 2008–2019
    Figure 3: Convergence in infant mortality rate, 2008–2019
    Figure 4: Convergence in unmet needs for medical examination and care, 2008–2019
    Figure 5: Impact of GDP per capita (in euro) on health indicators, EU27, 2008–2019
    Figure 6: Convergence in government expenditures on health, 2008–2019
    Figure 7: Convergence in the supply of physicians, 2008–2016
    Figure 8: Convergence in the supply of nurses and midwives, 2008–2016
    Figure 9: Convergence in hospital bed capacity, 2008–2018
    Figure 10: Convergence in life expectancy at birth, 2019–2020
    Figure 11: COVID-19 – new cases and deaths per million, EU27, January 2020–11 August 2021
    Figure 12: COVID-19 – New cases and deaths per million by Member State, January 2020 – 11 August 2021
    Figure 13: COVID-19 – convergence in Stringency Index, January 2020–1 August 2021
    Figure 14: COVID-19 – new daily vaccinations, 28 December 2020–10 August 2021
    Figure 15: COVID-19 – total vaccines administered by GDP per capita (in euro), EU27, 30 May and 10 August 2021
    Figure 16: COVID-19 – new daily vaccinations in the EU27, United States and OECD, 13 January 2021–10 August 2021

Research carried out prior to the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union on 31 January 2020, and published subsequently, may include data relating to the 28 EU Member States. Following this date, research only takes into account the 27 EU Member States (EU28 minus the UK), unless specified otherwise.

Part of the series

  • COVID-19

    Eurofound’s work on COVID-19 examines the far-reaching socioeconomic implications of the pandemic across Europe as they continue to impact living and working conditions. A key element of the research is the e-survey, launched in April 2020, with five rounds completed at different stages during 2020, 2021 and 2022. This is complemented by the inclusion of research into the ongoing effects of the pandemic in much of Eurofound’s other areas of work.

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