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Healthy Life Expectancyand

EU Policy

Clare Siddall

European Commission Directorate General for Health and Consumer Protection

Health Strategy Unit

AHEAD Final Conference Brussels, 28-29 June 2006

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Taskforce on Health Expectancies

Aim – to discuss the methodology and use of the Healthy Life Years indicator (and other developments in the field of structural health indicators)Commission, MS and experts meet several times per yearLed by the EHEMU project – European Health Expectancy Monitoring UnitMore information: www.ec.europa.eu, www.ehemu.eu

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The Healthy Life Years Indicator (HLY)

Used to distinguish between years of life free of any activity limitation and years experienced with at least one activity limitation Measured using the Sullivan methodIntroduced as a Lisbon Indicator in 2005

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The Lisbon Strategy

European Council Conclusions, Lisbon 2000: ‘the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world’ ‘capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion’ ‘Investing in people and developing an active and dynamic welfare state will be crucial both to Europe’s place in the knowledge economy……and for ensuring that the emergence of this new economy does not compound the existing social problems of unemployment, social exclusion and poverty’

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Health Means Wealth

Source: M. Suhrcke, M. McKee, R. Sauto Arce, S. Tsolova, J. Mortensen The contribution of health to the economy in the EU, Brussels 2005

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Health Means Wealth Healthier citizens reduce strain on healthcare

systems – Health systems account for 9% of GDP in the EU Member States

But also: Healthy Adults:

more likely to be in the workforce more productivework and live longer and save more for retirement

Healthy Children:better schooling outcomes and education less school absenteeism and early drop-out

a more competitive economy

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HLY and Public Spending

Due to ageing, health care spending is expected to rise between 1 and 2% GDP in most Member States.

However, if healthy life years increase at the same rate as life expectancy, this cost could be cut by 50%. (ECFIN)

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Increases in life expectancy at birth (male)

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

BE CZ DK DE EE GR ES FR IE IT CY LA LI LU HU MT NL AU PL PT SK SL FI SW UK

2003 2025 2050 HLY - 2003

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Disability free life expectancy at birth in percentage of total life expectancy, (Selected EU countries, Source: Eurostat)

60

70

80

90

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

be cz

dk de

es fr

ie it

cy hu

mt nl

at pl

pt fi

se uk

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Current European Health Potential - (males 2003)

40,00

45,00

50,00

55,00

60,00

65,00

70,00

75,00

80,00

AT BE CY CZ DE DK ES FI FR GR HU IE IT MT NL PL PT SE UK

Lowest HLY Highest HLY Average exit rate labour market HLY at birth

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Health Policy 1: Promotion and Prevention Across the Lifecycle

The Commission supports work specifically on ageing e.g. through funding projects and sharing best practice

But, poor health in old age is often the result of a lifetime of poor nutrition, smoking, lack of physical activity etc – we need a lifecycle approach

Examples of action – •European Platform for Action on Diet and Physical Activity – involving public, private and voluntary sector•EU level Strategies on Nutrition, Alcohol, Mental Health•Tobacco HELP! campaign increasing awareness of risks

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Health Policy 2: Health Services InitiativeA new initiative to develop an EU framework for safe, high quality and efficient health services – due to be adopted later in 2007

2 pillars: - improving legal certainty about application of Community law on health services - support for Member States in areas

where EU action can add value to national action

Effective Investment can increase Healthy Life Years – but governments need reliable evidence to support action

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Health Policy 3: Health In All Policies

Making health a strong partner in key cross-cutting EU policies“Health is Wealth”

Emphasising the economic benefits of health can be a key means of engaging with other policies

Lisbon Agenda - inclusion of Healthy Life Years indicator - health addressed in some Member States’

National Lisbon Programmes Structural Funds – more funding of health-related projects Sustainable Development Strategy – greater health focus

(previously mainly environmentally focused) Demographic Change – links between health, social and

economic policies

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Healthy Ageing in all Policies

Healthy Ageing Policies

Economic Policy(Lisbon Agenda)

SustainableDevelopment

Employment Policies

Pensions

ResearchFPs

Innovation and E-health

RegionalDevelopment

Education

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Evaluating the Uptake of the HLY indicator

Rand Europe evaluation December 2006Survey of awareness and use of HLY indicator since 2005Findings – limited awareness and use in non-health sectors at EU and national levelRecommendations – further work on HIAP including in forthcoming Health Strategy

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European Community Health Strategy

Aims:Coherent framework with clear objectives for health policy at EU levelRenewed approach to

-Key issues where EU can offer added value

-Health in all Policies-Global Health

Structured implementation and monitoring mechanism Adoption planned for autumn 2007

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Conclusions

EU policies need to be supported by solid research and comparable data

HLY will be used to measure progress of the Strategy

Commission welcomes continued work on health expectancies in cooperation with the Taskforce