<![CDATA[ Quase 76 mil crianças morrem anualmente na Europa antes de completarem cinco anos ]]>

Almost 76,000 children die every year in Europe before their fifth birthday and non-communicable diseases are responsible for the death of one in six people before the age of 70, the WHO warned today.

The data comes from a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), covering countries in Europe and Central Asia, which highlights that this region, despite having some of the strongest health systems in the world, has stagnant or even declining indicators, such as child health and chronic diseases. Analyzing the most recent data on child mortality in 53 countries, the WHO concluded that 75,647 children died before their 5th birthday in 2022, with complications from premature birth, birth asphyxia, congenital heart defects, lower respiratory infections and neonatal sepsis being the main causes. According to the report published every three years, regarding the neonatal mortality rate in 2022, Portugal is in the group with the best indicators, with 1.6, far behind Turkmenistan, which leads with 23. In older children and adolescents, mental health has been identified by the WHO as an "urgent priority", taking into account that cyberbullying has become a significant concern, affecting 15% of adolescents in the region. In addition, according to the document released today, one in five adolescents faces a mental health problem and suicide is the leading cause of death among young people aged 15 to 29. The estimated prevalence of depressive disorders in the population of the WHO European region increased from 4.6% in 2019 to 5.2% in 2021, with Greece having the highest prevalence of depressive disorders (7.6%), followed by Portugal (7.1%) and Lithuania (7.0%). The WHO also warns that one in six people die before the age of 70 due to cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes or chronic respiratory diseases, with the European region still having the highest alcohol consumption in the world, with an average of 8.8 liters of pure alcohol per adult per year, while tobacco consumption remains "unacceptably high", at 25.3%. In 2020, Portugal was slightly above the European average in alcohol consumption, with 8.9 liters per adult annually. Although one in six people still die before reaching the age of 70 from non-communicable diseases, at least 10 Member States have reached the WHO target of a 25% reduction in premature mortality. The document also highlights that dementia is a leading cause of disability, affecting more than 14 million people, with the WHO predicting that its prevalence will double by 2030 and warning that many people aged 65 and over do not have assistance with personal care or household activities. According to the report, during the COVID-19 pandemic, gaps in vaccination coverage have worsened in some countries and suboptimal vaccination rates have led to the resurgence of preventable diseases, with measles, with cases rising sharply in 2023 (58,000) and whooping cough reaching its highest level in a decade. Only seven Member States, including Portugal, achieved coverage of 95% or more in all three specified vaccines in 2023, the WHO also highlights, highlighting that, of the approximately three million people living with HIV in the region, only 63% receive antiretroviral therapy. The WHO also warned that health systems are not sufficiently prepared for future health emergencies, at a time when the impact of climate change on health is becoming increasingly significant, pointing to the example of more than 61,000 deaths related to heat waves in 2022. In terms of health professionals, the WHO highlights that almost all countries face a "workforce crisis", due to shortages and poor distribution across the different sectors that provide care.

"The growing demand for health services is outstripping the supply of health professionals and this is compounded by impending reforms and the migration of health professionals from low to high-income countries," says the WHO, pointing to the example of the 30% of doctors in Europe who are over 55 years old.

Related Articles