In an ageing Europe, investing in preventative health is key: we need to ensure longer and healthier lives
Living longer is desirable, but not necessarily when those years gained are spent in poor health. Given the pressures facing health and social care services across Europe and the ongoing workforce crisis since COVID-19, investing more in prevention is an essential part of mitigating the challenges of an ageing society while supporting European healthcare systems.
Preventing ill health and promoting healthy ageing is crucial to ensure people across Europe remain physically, socially and economically active for longer. We know that those who remain in good health in later life can contribute more meaningfully to society, for example through volunteering and higher spending. Increasing preventative health spend by just 0.1% can unlock a 9% increase in annual spending by people aged 60+ and an additional 10 hours of volunteering [2].
So, while increasing prevention spending now may seem expensive to policymakers, it’s the long-term social and economic gains that need to be considered. Our Index suggests that only 1% of the global population is currently adapted to living longer, healthier lives. More must be done to inspire and engage policymakers to invest in population health, democratise access to health services, and use technology effectively so that we can all reap the benefits of preventative healthcare to live longer and healthier lives.
While health is a national competence, the EU has a responsibility to encourage its Member States to take more action now to ensure a healthier, happier, more prosperous society in the future. Moving beyond the European Parliament elections in June and into the 2024-29 political cycle, prevention needs to be a key priority in public health policymaking.
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