10 health questions about the 10

ABSTRACT

Ten countries joined the previously 15-member European Union (EU15) on 1 May 2004, creating EU25. The health status of the population varies among the new members, and sometimes between them and EU15. Similarly, their health systems show different patterns of development. How does each of the new EU members compare in terms of health to the old members? This book offers a quick and easy way to grasp the essential features of health and health systems in the 10 newcomers. Each chapter provides a concise overview of key health indicators in 1 of the 10, compares these indicators to EU15 averages, summarizes the key aspects of the country’s health system and describes what it has achieved after a decade of health reform. This book is not a comprehensive in-depth study, but an easy guide to the knowledge available. It offers valuable reading for anyone who wants to have a quick, straightforward and accurate entry point to understanding health in the 10 new EU member states.