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Euronews
15 hours ago
- Business
- Euronews
Which European countries are struggling most to meet medical needs?
In the EU, 4 per cent of people aged 16 and over have reported having an unmet need for a medical examination or treatment. Among individuals who actually have required medical care, the proportion reporting unmet health care is even higher. These unmet medical needs may be due to personal reasons or systemic issues with healthcare provision in individual countries, including long waiting times, costs, and so on. The proportion of people reporting unmet healthcare needs varies significantly across Europe. So, which countries have the highest rates of unmet healthcare needs? What are the main reasons for this? And how do experts and scholars explain the country-level differences? The proportion of people reporting unmet healthcare needs ranged from 0.2 per cent in Cyprus to 15.5 per cent in Estonia, with an EU average of 3.8 per cent. Albania and Greece were among the top three countries, each reporting rates above 13 per cent. Surprisingly, Denmark (12.2 per cent), Finland, and Norway (both over 7.5 per cent) report relatively high levels of unmet healthcare needs, despite being among the wealthy Nordic countries. Sweden also ranked above the EU average. Central and Western European countries like Germany (0.5 per cent), Austria (1.3 per cent), and the Netherlands (1.4 per cent) show very low unmet needs, suggesting highly accessible and efficient healthcare systems. Among the EU's four largest economies, France reported the highest level of unmet healthcare needs at 6.3 per cent, while the others remained below the EU average. Unmet medical needs in the EU consist of two main reasons: reasons related to the healthcare system (2.4 per cent) and reasons that are not related to the health system but are personal factors (1.4 per cent), resulting in a total of 3.8 per cent. These proportions vary widely across EU member states, candidate countries, and EFTA countries included in the survey. Healthcare system issues include three main factors: waiting list (1.2 per cent), treatment being too expensive (1 per cent), and too far to travel for treatment (0.1 per cent), with these figures representing the EU average. Healthcare system-related reasons dominate in five countries, three of which report unmet medical needs exceeding 10 per cent: Estonia (12.9), Greece (11.6), and Albania (10.7). This proportion was also above 7.5 per cent in Finland and Latvia. The sources of systemic problems vary across countries. For example, in Greece and Albania, over 9 per cent of people reported being unable to meet their medical needs due to healthcare being too expensive. In contrast, long waiting lists were the main barrier in Estonia (12 per cent) and Finland (7.5 per cent). Reasons not related to the healthcare system include personal factors, such as: "No time," "Didn't know any good doctor or specialist," "Fear of doctor, hospital, examination or treatment," and "Wanted to wait and see if problem got better on its own". The OECD and European Commission's Health at a Glance: Europe 2024 report notes that focusing only on the subgroup of the population with medical care needs increases the rate of unmet needs in all countries. This excludes those who reported no care needs. In some cases, the increase is quite substantial, Greece being a notable example. Here, over one in five people (21 per cent) who had medical care needs reported that their needs were not met in 2023 due to reasons related to the healthcare system. This was 12 per cent in Finland and 10 per cent in Latvia. In every EU country, people with the lowest incomes face more unmet medical needs than those with the highest incomes, due to reasons related to the healthcare system. In the EU, the overall average was 2.4 per cent. This share rose to 3.8 per cent among low-income groups, while it was just 1.2 per cent among those with higher incomes. This gap is wider in some countries, in particular. For example, in Greece, nearly one in four people (23 per cent) in the lowest income quintile reported unmet medical care, compared to just 3.4 per cent in the highest income group. In Finland, the figures were 10 per cent versus 4.9 per cent, and in France, 5.3 per cent versus 1.9 per cent. "Unmet health needs are an important public health challenge that arises from different reasons," Dr Tit Albreht, President of the European Public Health Association (EUPHA), told Euronews Health. "We can assume that an important part of the causes lies in the governance of health systems, but also in the ways other complementary systems are integrated in a more holistic management of health needs of the population". Tina Taube, Director, Market Access & OMP Policy Lead at European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), explained that unmet medical needs vary widely across European countries due to differences in disease areas, access to diagnosis and treatment, healthcare system readiness, and national reimbursement policies. She noted that the concept of unmet need is context-specific, depending on the patient, disease type, and available technology. "Needs for cardiovascular patients might differ from the needs of patients with rare diseases… It's not just about product availability but also access to diagnosis and healthcare at national level," she told Euronews Health. Andy Powrie-Smith, Communications Executive Director at EFPIA, emphasised the significant disparities across European countries in terms of access to new treatments. He notes that patients in one country can wait up to seven times longer than those in a neighbouring country due to a variety of barriers. These include regulatory processes, pricing and reimbursement delays, and the readiness of healthcare systems. As treatments become more advanced - for instance, with gene and cell therapies - the need for skilled professionals and robust healthcare infrastructure becomes even more critical. Powrie-Smith stated that differences in healthcare spending, infrastructure, and economic capacity across countries all influence how well a country can deliver new treatments to its population. Albreht of EUPHA pointed out that the level of healthcare financing does not appear to be the decisive factor in the survey results, as some countries with high total health expenditure - such as Denmark, Finland, and Norway - still report high unmet needs, while others with much lower expenditure - like Albania and Greece - show similar patterns. "These results definitely require a closer insight into the figures," he said. Eurostat highlighted that the results are derived from self-reported data, so it is, to a certain extent, affected by respondents' subjective perception as well as by their social and cultural background.
The National
3 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Scotland's constitution needs help if people want to see change
You can't assume that we will always have a progressive government in an independent Scotland. At one time, people associated progressiveness with the SNP, though we're now less sure. In fact, it's my personal expectation that the SNP will disappear after independence and we'll have left, right and centre parties as most countries have, whatever their names will be. A fresh start; that's what we could have – that's what we need. Community groups have long learned that, if you want change, to make things different, you need to define it yourselves, put it into words so there is no doubt – and then get people to support the plan. As a country we're the same, we can't leave it to others, especially the political parties who are decidedly vague about what their version of 'change' means. READ MORE: Scottish independence support at 58 per cent if Nigel Farage becomes PM – poll The sort of things that we would aspire to hold dear, would want to define and want safeguarded in our constitution could be: Defining our control over specific territory, land, sea and air, with the people sovereign and the parliament accountable to the electorate Protecting the right and obligations of citizenship, human rights and rights to education, health and social care, the principle of a minimum wage, etc Setting the status and appointment of the head of state, their role, duties and limitation of powers Defining the parliament, its chambers, committees and high-level procedures Setting the powers of the Parliament; scrutiny; discipline and recall of MSPs; how to have referendums on things like EU or EFTA membership; how citizens might call for referendums; citizens assemblies Establishing the civil service; restriction of external influences; NGOs and their powers Setting the currency, powers of tax-raising and the role of the central bank Ensuring the independence of the judiciary; auditing; control of broadcasting Controlling the use of natural resources; environmental protection; public access to land and water; prohibition of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons Establishing defence, security, emergency services and armed forces. If these subjects are important to us, then we need them enshrined in a constitution. Only a handful of countries in the world don't have written constitutions and the UK is one of them. That's why you can be forgiven for feeling that the UK Government sometimes makes up the rules as it goes along. Let's ensure that Scotland has a written constitution, drafted in everyday language that folk can understand, that can be taught in schools and of which citizens can be proud. Within the headings above, you would want the key principles, public values and rights to be made clear. That's what our site is all about; it's more than a website, it's an interactive platform that allows you to have your say. It's at By registering on our site, you can read comments, make yours and propose changes to the draft constitution and, most importantly, vote for your preferences. We are not trying to protect our draft constitution because our sole charitable purpose is to encourage consultation and engagement. Where the draft ends up depends on you. We need to be campaigning all the time, and so a constitution should be serving a far more immediate purpose for us all. It should be the tool to help answer the doorstep questions such as, 'How will an independent Scotland be different from now?' and 'How would the new country be set up?'. Chiselled in Iona marble on the Canongate Wall of our Scottish Parliament, the late Alasdair Gray reminded us to 'work as if you live in the early days of a better nation'. Should we not still be doing that? Although some parties have gone quiet, is it not up to us to assert ourselves, day and daily? Drafting the constitution is our opportunity to shape that better nation. We will be happy to give a presentation to your local group too, to take this further. Because the talk is basically a guided tour of the interactive platform it really lends itself to a Zoom meeting and we have given around 25 of these around the country already. Let's hear from you! is a registered Scottish charity with the aim of advancing participative democracy within the community of Scotland. You can read more than 1000 comments across 15 articles and participate in preparing a Scottish Constitution. Join in and have your say in how you think an independent Scotland should be governed. To interested groups, the Constitution for Scotland team offer a 'Guest Speaker' introduction, demonstration and Q&A session within your own Zoom meeting. For more information and to arrange an event, please contact info@
India Gazette
6 days ago
- Business
- India Gazette
"We are well on Track in bilateral trade agreement with US," says Piyush Goyal
New Delhi [India] May 29 (ANI): Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said on Thursday that the talks for a bilateral trade agreement (BTA) with the United States are on track, and progress is also being made for an FTA with the European Union. 'We are well on track in our bilateral trade agreement with the United States of America, making fast progress with the European Union,' the Union Minister Piyush Goyal said, speaking at the Confederation of Indian Industry's (CII) Annual Business Summit here. He cited progress on various Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), including those with the UAE, Australia, the UK, the four EFTA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland). The minister said that India has also launched negotiations with New Zealand He said EFTA countries have committed 100 billion dollar FDI to India in the next 15 years. Goyal said India is respected and recognised 'for our work around the world'. 'We are preparing India for Viksit Bharat by 2047 - a developed, prosperous nation where speed, skill and scale will define our growth journey,' he said. 'Growth through trade, growth through resilient supply chains, growth through innovation, all of it will be incomplete until we promote inclusive growth that encompasses one and all,' he added. The minister said India continues to power global growth through its own growth. 'It is a moment of pride for us that we are well on track as the IMF has projected that by 2027, India will be the world's 3rd largest GDP. It is also very appropriate that despite all the turbulence, all the volatility, uncertainty & complexities that the world is going through, we continue to be the fastest growing economy of the world. We continue to power global growth through growth in India,' he said. 'We continue to be the fastest-growing economy in the world, and we continue to power global growth. For the next 30 years, India will continue to be the fastest-growing, largest economy,' the minister added India and the US had earlier said that they aim to finalise the first tranche of BTA by the fall of the current year. There is expectation that India and the United States could sign the first tranche of the much-anticipated Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) before July. (ANI)
Mint
6 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Goyal to lead business delegations to Europe, says FTA talks with US, EU well on track
New Delhi: India is stepping up its international trade efforts with commerce minister Piyush Goyal set to lead high-level business delegations to France and Italy next week. The outreach comes amid growing global interest in India's market and its role in global supply chains, with several countries together committing over $100 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country. Goyal, after attending some key meetings in Paris, will travel to Italy with an industry delegation to deepen trade and investment ties. A separate Indian business delegation is also expected to visit Switzerland around the same time. These visits reflect India's expanding engagement with countries under its free trade agreement (FTA) strategy. 'We have launched FTA talks with New Zealand, and just yesterday the New Zealand trade minister sent me a message looking forward to meeting in Paris next week,' Goyal said while speaking at the CII Business Summit on Thursday. India has already concluded FTAs with the UAE and Australia, while negotiations with the UK have been completed and the deal is now in the process of being signed after final legal scrutiny, which is expected to take another 3–4 months. A free trade agreement was also signed in March last year with the four EFTA countries—Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. As part of this agreement, they have pledged long-term investment of $100 billion into India alongside their trade commitments. 'The $100 billion investment committed through the FDI route over the next 15 years is expected to catalyze nearly $500 billion in total investment when factoring in partner contributions and related inflows," the minister said. India's bilateral trade agreement with the US is also nearing the final stage, and the minister said that it remains 'well on track.' Additionally, FTA discussions with the 27-nation European Union are making steady progress. The series of negotiations signals a broader effort by India to position itself as a trusted, rules-based trading partner at a time of increasing geopolitical uncertainty and supply chain disruptions. With India's economy projected to be among the top drivers of global growth in the coming decades, the government is aiming to use trade deals not only to expand market access for its exports but also to attract deeper investments and technology transfers.
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Piyush Goyal meets exporters, urges higher FTA use; US, EU trade deals figure in discussions
New Delhi: Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday discussed a host of issues, including ongoing trade talks with the US and EU, in a meeting with exporters and urged them to increase the utilisation of free trade agreements (FTAs), industry officials said. The minister also stated that support could be provided to exporters to deal with European Union (EU) regulations like Digital Product Passport (DPP), they said. The other issues that figured in the deliberations held by Goyal with exporters include the proposed centralised exporters portal, and ways to further boost exports of services and value-added goods. One of the industry officials, who attended the meeting, said that the commerce ministry informed the exporters that about 9-10 FTAs are in the pipeline including with countries such as Chile and New Zealand. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Your IQ Is 140 If You Can Answer 10 Of These Questions Correctly IQ International Undo The talks for a trade pact with the EU would get an impetus as Goyal is expected to visit Italy, and France in the first week of June. He may also visit Switzerland in the second week of the next month. India and the four-nation European bloc EFTA signed a Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) on March 10, 2024. The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) members are Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. Live Events Another exporter said that they flagged concerns over EU regulations such as EUDR (EU Deforestation Regulation), CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism), ESPR (Eco Design Sustainable Product Regulation) as it would increase their compliance cost to export goods to the 27-nation bloc. "The minister assured that labour-intensive sectors such as leather, plastics, and textiles would get greater market access in FTA partner countries, and Indian exporters should gear up to tap into that opportunity," the officials added. Exporters were informed that an early harvest trade deal with the EU is progressing at a faster pace and it may be concluded soon, they said. Commerce ministry officials, representatives from different export promotion councils and industry chambers participated in the meeting.
