The recession has widened the health divide between Europe's rich and poor, a major review has revealed.
The impact of recession is clear in countries with the most severe economic problems. In Greece, for example, suicides rose by 17 per cent and murder rates more than doubled between 2007 and 2011. Half of new HIV infections in 2013 are estimated to have been self-inflicted to secure monthly benefits of €700.
Michael Marmot at University College London, who co-wrote the report for the World Health Organization, warns that the inequities threaten the long-term health of future generations unless governments take action to reverse cuts in health spending.
He says that the most effective intervention is to invest in education and care in early life. "I would argue that if you fail to invest in early child development, you're simply storing up costly problems for the future," he says.
He also recommends heavier taxation and better education to steer people away from cigarettes, alcohol and junk food.
Marmot's main message is that all countries can do "something, more or better" to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor.
The report's biggest surprise was how low life expectancy was in Russia compared with other countries, says Marmot. "Russian men die on average 17 years sooner than Icelandic men, and Russian women die 12 years sooner than their counterparts in Spain and France," he says. "This is an absolutely enormous disparity."
If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.
Have your say
Only subscribers may leave comments on this article. Please log in.
Only personal subscribers may leave comments on this article
All comments should respect the New Scientist House Rules. If you think a particular comment breaks these rules then please use the "Report" link in that comment to report it to us.
If you are having a technical problem posting a comment, please contact technical support.
