WHO warns Europe over health woes

The World Health Organization's latest European Health Report shows concerning declines across multiple indicators, from child wellness to chronic disease management, despite the region's reputation for world-class healthcare.

Published on Tuesday, the report, analyzing data from 53 member states, serves as a policy roadmap as the region battles against unprecedented challenges, including widespread health misinformation, workforce shortages, aging populations, and climate change impacts.

Despite having some of the world's lowest child mortality rates, the region faces stark inequalities, with preventable deaths ranging from 1.5 to 40.4 per 1,000 live births across countries.

In 2022 alone, more than 75,000 children died before age 5, primarily from complications related to preterm birth, birth asphyxia, congenital heart problems, respiratory infections, and neonatal sepsis.

The report, which is released every three years, highlights alarming youth health trends that include the observation that one in five adolescents faces mental health issues, with suicide leading deaths among 15 to 29-year-olds. Other challenges include widespread cyberbullying, tobacco use, and a concerning rate of childhood obesity affecting nearly one-third of school-aged children.

"In our online and interconnected world, our young people are ironically feeling lonelier than ever before, with many struggling with their weight and self-confidence, setting them up for poor health as adults," said WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Henri P. Kluge. He said WHO/Europe and UNICEF will present a new child and adolescent health strategy to the region's member states later this year.

While 10 member states have achieved the WHO's target for reducing major noncommunicable diseases, or NCDs, one in six Europeans still dies prematurely before age 70 from these conditions.

Cardiovascular diseases and cancer each account for one-third of premature NCD deaths in the region, with cardiovascular risk nearly five times higher in Eastern Europe and Central Asia compared to Western Europe.

The European region's struggle with substance use continues to raise concerns, maintaining the world's highest alcohol consumption rate, at 8.8 liters per adult annually, while tobacco use remains stubbornly high, at 25.3 percent, making the WHO's 2025 smoking reduction target increasingly unattainable.

"Noncommunicable diseases still don't get the attention they deserve, despite accounting for 90 percent of all deaths in our region," said Kluge. "Interestingly, cancer incidence is higher in Western and Northern Europe compared to Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where cardiovascular diseases are more common, in part due to different living conditions, population health behaviors, and health system effectiveness."

Climate change poses another threat, with Europe warming at twice the global rate, causing 175,000 heat-related deaths annually while the healthcare sector contributes 5 percent of global emissions, the report noted.

"The climate crisis is only making matters worse by driving disease burdens across the spectrum, especially chronic disease," Kluge added.