The pandemic has forced OECD countries to increase spending on health. Poland below average

Covid-19 has worsened access to medical services and had a bad effect on the mental health of corporate citizens of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, an organization that brings together highly developed democratic countries. Life expectancy has decreased in as many as 24 out of 30 countries.

These are just some of the conclusions from the just published report OECD Health Overview 2021.

According to its authors, the epidemic caused 16 percent. An increase in the number of deaths in 2020 and the first half of this year (compared to the expected number). This has translated into a shortened life expectancy. It is particularly evident in the data from the USA (a decrease of 1.6 years) and Spain (a decrease of 1.5 years).

He mentioned the massive health debt that was incurred during the first year of the epidemic Interview with 300 Gospodarka ALK خبير expert Catarzina ColasaWith the proposal of possible solutions that, in her opinion, would make it possible to resolve the debt as quickly as possible.

The health care overload of Covid-19 has had a negative impact on the availability of medical care for non-coronavirus patients. The report gives an example of the number of breast cancer screenings that has decreased by 5 percentage points compared to 2019. The waiting time for some treatments has also increased. For example, you had to wait 58 days on average for an operation to insert an artificial hip joint (the so-called arthroplasty). The waiting time for knee arthroplasty was 88 days longer.

Experts point out that Covid-19 has forced governments and citizens to increase spending on health. Average health spending in OECD countries rose from 8.8 percent. GDP in 2019 to 9.7% of GDP in 2020. The authors of the report stress that those countries where the epidemic was most violent were spending more generously on health. For example, health spending in the UK increased by 10.2%. GDP to 12.8%, Slovenia from 8.5%. up to 10 percent of GDP.

This graph shows what total (not just overall) spending on health looked like in 2020:

Experts point out that linking health spending to the size of GDP may be somewhat misleading. Because most countries, due to combating the effects of the epidemic, experienced a fairly deep recession in 2020.

As you can see, Poland is below average compared to other OECD members. It is true that our total spending has also increased (from 6.5% of GDP to 7.2% of GDP), but in the OECD ranking we are still only in this respect in fourth place or, if you prefer, in Seventh place. spot from the end.

Number one on the list is the United States, where 16.8 percent was spent on health in the previous year. gross domestic product. In the last stage, Turkey with spending 4.3 percent. gross domestic product.