This chapter starts with a broad indicator of avoidable mortality, providing a general assessment of the effectiveness of public health and healthcare systems in reducing premature deaths. Four causes of preventable mortality – COVID‑19, lung cancer, ischaemic heart diseases and alcohol-related deaths – accounted for more than half of all preventable deaths in the EU in 2021. Despite renewed emphasis on vaccination, most EU countries have not met targets on childhood immunisation, though HPV vaccine coverage among boys has increased in a number of countries. Cancer mortality can be reduced through better prevention and earlier diagnosis, but cancer screening rates still fall below the EU’s ambitious targets, and population-based screening rates vary widely. Avoidable hospital admissions for chronic conditions have declined steeply following the pandemic, while case fatality rates following hospitalisation for stroke and heart attack have risen in many countries. These two indicators suggest that EU residents may have been less likely to seek care during the pandemic, resulting in fewer, but more severe, cases upon hospital arrival. Quality and safety metrics for acute care, such as the timeliness of hip-fracture surgery and the prevalence of hospital acquired infections, show that there is room for countries to further invest in high-quality and safe care. Surveys of hospital workers identify staffing levels, work pace, and error reporting as areas for improvement.
Health at a Glance: Europe 2024
State of Health in the EU Cycle
Health at a Glance: Europe
