A Union in sickness and in health

Date: 26/01/06

Health gets a surprising amount of attention in the European Union.

Surprising particularly because healthcare is an area in which the EU has limited competence.

But from the European Commission's anti-smoking 'Help' campaign to MEPs' pressure for tough chemical controls, Europe has shown how worried it is about the wellbeing of its citizens.

The Commission late last year even published a study on the link between healthcare and the EU economy, showing the billions spent every year fighting problems such as heart disease.

And the number of healthcare interest groups is also ballooning. An obscure cousin to environmental lobbyists until the 1990s, the work of health non-governmental organisations (NGOs) can now sometimes get as much headline attention as the latest study from Greenpeace.

The European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) today boasts more than 100 NGO members, covering modern worries from obesity to allergies.

Austria has included a long list of health issues in its EU presidency priorities, starting with a conference on diabetes in Vienna next month. Vienna will also be in the hot seat for follow-up action to months of fears that deadly bird bug avian flu will morph into a global pandemic.

And Ireland sparked new life into the cigarette debate with its 2004 ban on smoking in all workplaces - including bars and restaurants. Italy and Spain followed close behind, with most EU governments at least discussing the idea today.

But the thinking behind today's pre-occupation with healthcare remains controversial. A glance at the history of Europe shows how much healthier, on average, EU citizens are today than at any time in the past. Life expectancy has soared while infant mortality - once a part of almost every mother's life - is now a rare tragedy.

Old killer diseases from cholera to typhoid have disappeared, cancer and tuberculosis can be better treated, and even deaths from heart attacks are less common than they were 50 years ago.

The link between passive smoking and ill health is still being argued over.

Nonetheless Europeans are anxious to improve their lives in every way they can, be it through a healthier econ-omy or healthier children.

And the Union will leave no stone un-turned, at least in its quest for the latter.

Author takes a look at the European Union's recent activities in the field of public health. Article is part of a European Voice Special Report 'Healthcare'.

European Commission: DG Health and Consumer Protection: Public Health http://ec.europa.eu/comm/dgs/health_consumer/publichealth.htm

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