15-05-2018 10:00
Sustainability of Health Systems

A3G-2
SUSTAINABILITY OF HEALTH SYSTEMS
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Health systems contribute to preserving and restoring good health of the EU population. They also enable people to live independently through the provision of social care services. The health care sector also plays an important role in the overall economy: it accounts for 8% of the total European workforce and for 8.5% of GDP in the European Union. The sector contributes to economic prosperity through improving labour market participation and productivity .

All EU Member States face strong and growing fiscal pressures on their health and long-term care systems, driven by already high levels of public expenditure and debt in most countries, demographic pressures and technological advances.
EU Member States' future ability to provide universal and equitable access to high quality care will depend on making health systems more resilient, more capable of coping with the challenges ahead and while remaining cost-effective and fiscally sustainable.