METHODS: The study draws on published reports and analyses of official statistics over time and cross-country. Health care policy adherence to the European Commission\'s recommended country-specific health actions was classified into five health policy areas: financing, payment, organization, regulation and persuasion. Key health policy areas for Western Balkan countries (WBCs) were identified. Health progress or lack thereof in catching up to the EU15 population health, health expenditure and the number of health professionals are measured.
RESULTS: The European Commission prioritized financing and regulation for all WBCs in the five policy areas. Nine of the 18 analyzed selected health indicators showed divergence, and the other nine converged towards the EU15 averages. WBCs continue to face diverse public health challenges in improving life expectancy at birth, death rates caused by circulatory system diseases, malignant neoplasms, traffic accidents, psychoactive substance use, tuberculosis incidence, tobacco smoking prevalence and public-sector health expenditure.
CONCLUSIONS: By 2019, there is limited evidence of WBCs catching up to the average EU15 health levels and health care policies. Closer attention towards EU health and health care policies would be favourable.
方法:该研究借鉴了已发表的报告和对一段时间和跨国的官方统计数据的分析。符合欧盟委员会建议的针对特定国家的卫生行动的卫生保健政策被分为五个卫生政策领域:融资,付款,组织,调节和说服。确定了西巴尔干国家(WBC)的关键卫生政策领域。在赶上欧盟15国人口健康方面,健康进步或缺乏进步,测量卫生支出和卫生专业人员的数量。
结果:欧盟委员会在五个政策领域优先考虑所有WBC的融资和监管。18个分析的选定健康指标中有9个显示出分歧,其他9个趋同EU15平均水平。WBC在提高出生时预期寿命方面继续面临各种公共卫生挑战,循环系统疾病引起的死亡率,恶性肿瘤,交通事故,精神活性物质的使用,结核病发病率,烟草吸烟率和公共部门卫生支出。
结论:到2019年,WBC追赶EU15平均健康水平和医疗保健政策的证据有限。对欧盟卫生和医疗保健政策的更多关注将是有利的。