This chapter presents indicators related to health system resilience – the ability to prepare for, absorb, recover from and adapt to shocks. While the COVID‑19 pandemic is the largest recent shock European health systems have faced, other challenges, such as antimicrobial resistance and climate change, also require resilience capacity. The pandemic highlighted the life‑saving efficacy of vaccines, with countries with high vaccination coverage experiencing lower excess mortality. Vaccination against COVID‑19 was particularly crucial for older people; by the end of 2021, nearly 90% of people aged 60 and above in the EU had completed their primary vaccination course. However, uptake of the booster dose in 2022 was more variable, with countries with higher coverage of the primary course experiencing smaller declines in uptake. Influenza vaccination coverage rates among older people also increased in many countries during the first year of the pandemic, but declined thereafter and remained well below the 75% target in most countries. Teleconsultations were pivotal for safe care delivery during pandemic peaks, but their volumes have since decreased in many countries. Going forward, countries will need to integrate teleconsultations and other telemedicine options efficiently and equitably. Population ageing will drive growing healthcare and long-term care needs in the coming years. Recent projections from the European Commission indicate that public spending on long-term care is projected to grow faster than public spending on healthcare in the coming decades, highlighting the importance of finding innovative ways to meet these needs efficiently within the constraints of human resources and budgets.
Health at a Glance: Europe 2024
State of Health in the EU Cycle
Health at a Glance: Europe
