In the EU less than 3% goes to preventive care

According to the latest figures published by Eurostat, EU member states dedicate the 97% of their healthcare budget to cure, while they on average spend  2,8 % on preventive care, which translates into an expenditure of 82 EUR per inhabitant on average.

With 4,4 % of its healthcare budget spend on preventive care, Italy spends the most of any EU member state and with 0,8 %, Slovakia spends the least.

The Covid19 epidemic has exposed all the latent weaknesses in healthcare systems and highlighted the need to shift from a “sick care” model, based on reactive diagnosis and treatment of diseases, to a “health care” model, which takes care of health by emphasizing the centrality of prevention and healthy lifestyles.

There is an urgent need for systematic changes that can accelerate this transition.

It is estimated that 70% to 80% of health budgets in the European Union are being spent on treating chronic diseases, which represents around €700 billion being invested on mostly preventable, lifestyle-related diseases. At least 80% of all heart disease, stroke and diabetes, and around 40% of cancers could be prevented by applying the right prevention procedures.

One of the key risk factors for developing these chronic lifestyle-related diseases is a lack of physical activity. Therefore, it is crucial that physical activity promotion campaigns are considered a key tool for health promotion and disease prevention and that they receive appropriate and sustained public funding.

It is scientifically demonstrated that prevention through regular exercise is essential -World Health Organization

Wellness Foundation together with EuropeActive and other partners work every day towards making more people more active more often spreading the Culture of Wellness for the benefit of all.