Impact of the crisis on children’s and women’s health

Date: 15th January 2014
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare

In a summary report, Doctors of the World calls on national governments and EU institutions to ensure public health systems built on solidarity, equality and equity, open to everyone living in a European Member State, rather than systems based on a profit rationale.

The report is a summary of a roundtable held in Brussels at the European Parliament, where the impact of the financial crisis on children's and women's health was discussed. The report reflects on current contexts of healthcare in the EU what the EU can do and resulting policy recommendations.

In Greece, 3 to 4 out of the 11 million Greeks have lost their health coverage and financial barriers exclude a growing number of children from accessing essential healthcare services. In Spain, austerity measures have deteriorated the access and offer to healthcare, as well as the quality of care. In Brussels, there is a worrying increase in the number of homeless women in the winter emergency shelters.

Representing Eurochild, Jana Hainsworth reminded about the European Commission's recommendation "Investing in children: breaking the cycle of disadvantage" in which it invites Member States to "ensure that all children can make full use of their universal right to health care, including through disease prevention and health promotion as well as access to quality health services", specifically including children from undocumented parents.

• Download 'Investing in children: breaking the cycle of disadvantage' here.
• Download the Doctors of the World summary report here.