Health inequalities in Europe

The availability and utilisation of healthcare is strongly affected by the circumstances in which people are born, grow up, live and age. A baby boy born in Lenzie has a life expectancy of 82 years. Life expectancy of a boy born in Calton is only 54 years. Lenzie and Calton are both districts of the city of Glasgow in Scotland. “Such health inequalities are unfair and avoidable”, says Dr Carme Borrell, scientific coordinator of the SOPHIE consortium. SOPHIE evaluates how government policies can reduce health inequalities in Europe.

Maternal and new-born health in Africa

In Africa, new-born and maternal mortality rates are high, even though appropriate treatments are available. Sometimes a simple change of routines can save lives. Scientists involved in the EQUIP consortium collaborate with African health providers to determine the obstacles preventing them from delivering the appropriate care. “We are not inventing new drugs, but just making drugs to be used”, explains Claudia Hansen, project coordinator of EQUIP in a video on HorizonHeath.eu.

Patient compliance in Europe

“Around 50 per cent of patients fail to adhere to the medication programmes they are prescribed. This has serious long-term implications”, says Professor Przemyslaw Kardas of the ABC project. The project aims to find out why people are not taking their medication. The ABC-scientists will advise policy makers how to improve compliance rates. Read more about the reasons why people do not take their medication in an article in 'Research.eu'.