The European Health Report 2002 (WHO Regional Publications, European)

Governments and policy-makers are increasingly aware that access to knowledge enables better policy-making practice. The policy-makers of the various Member States are also more and more aware that they face common challenges and can learn useful lessons from across national boundaries that shed light on their own specific national situation. The challenge for the Regional Office is to build on the existing data and experience, to facilitate the sharing of this experience and, ultimately, to make those data and indicators practically comparable across the countries. The European health report responds to the statutory requirement to provide the Member States with essential public health information. It provides a broad but concise picture of the health status and health determinants in the Region, and identifies areas for public health action for the Member States and the European public health community. The report focuses on concrete evidence useful for decision-makers in public health. Its role is to summarize and feed back to Member States the information created, deposited and "accredited" during the Regional Office's work with Member States on key topics and issues in public health in Europe, in the context of the values and principles of WHO as "one Organization". Contents......Page 5 Acknowledgements......Page 7 Foreword......Page 9 Introduction......Page 10 PART ONE The Health Situation in the European Region......Page 15 The overall situation......Page 16 Life expectancy and mortality......Page 19 Healthy life expectancy......Page 23 The burden of ill health......Page 26 Communicable diseases......Page 27 Noncommunicable diseases......Page 37 Mental health......Page 50 Accidents and injuries......Page 52 Bibliography......Page 53 Child health......Page 57 Adolescent health......Page 60 Women's health......Page 64 Ageing and health......Page 69 Bibliography......Page 71 PART TWO The major determinants of health......Page 73 Socioeconomic determinants......Page 74 Health and development......Page 76 Poverty......Page 78 Psychosocial factors......Page 79 Employment......Page 80 Gender......Page 81 Bibliography......Page 82 Nutrition......Page 83 Physical activity......Page 87 Tobacco......Page 89 Alcohol......Page 93 Illegal drugs......Page 95 Bibliography......Page 99 Air quality......Page 101 Food safety......Page 102 Water......Page 105 Housing......Page 106 Work......Page 107 Transport......Page 109 Global environmental changes......Page 110 Bibliography......Page 112 PART THREE Health systems policies and reforms......Page 115 Financing......Page 118 Provision of services......Page 122 Primary care......Page 123 Hospitals......Page 124 Quality......Page 127 Resource generation......Page 129 Pharmaceuticals......Page 131 Stewardship......Page 134 Bibliography......Page 138 CONCLUSION......Page 143 ANNEX 1. Health systems performance assessment methods......Page 146 ANNEX 2. Statistical tables......Page 156 Annotation This report responds to the statutory requirement to provide the Member States with essential public health information. It provides a broad but concise picture of the health status and health determinants in the Region, and identifies areas for public health action for the Member States and the public health community. The report focuses on concrete evidence useful for decision-makers in public health. Its role is to summarise and feed back to the Member States the information created, deposited and 'accredited' during the Regional Office's work with Member States on key topics and issues in public health in Europe This report provides Member States with essential public health information. It provides a picture of the health status and health determinants in the European Region and identifies areas for public health action for the Member States and the European public health community.