Access to healthcare and long-term care: equal for women and men? Final Synthesis Report

Though significant progress has been made in increasing the quality of health care across the European Union, many inequalities persist. In particular, this report looks at the inequality in access to healthcare and long-term care between men and women in the EU. The synthesis presented in this comparative report by the Expert Group on Gender Equality, Social Inclusion, Health and Long-term Care Issues describes the main differences in the health status of women and men in European countries and examines how healthcare and long-term care systems respond to gender specific needs in ensuring equal access. The report considers the main financial, cultural and physical barriers to access and provides good practice examples of healthcare promotion, prevention and treatment programs, as well as of long-term care. It calls attention to the need for promoting gender mainstreaming in healthcare and long-term care.