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The need for Sustainable and Effective Healthcare Systems

See page for author [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Longer life expectancy and the discovery of novel therapeutic drugs will become the thorniest problems faced by our healthcare systems. According to OECD health spending has risen faster than economic growth in all OECD countries -35 members around the globe- over the past 20 years. In the EU, the health sector already represents 15% of public expenditures. And a recent report of Bruegel Institute stressed that the cost of healthcare is expected to double by 2050 if structural reforms are not carried out. It is true that an ageing population and the entry of new drugs into the marketplace are likely to weigh down very heavily on public finances and will also become a significant burden on individual households. In every case, more focus will be needed on the prevention of diseases. And of course, if we want to meet this goal, the Big Data will appear essential. But we will also need to simplify the complexity of the healthcare system and especially ensure an equitable access to healthcare for all citizens.Yet, the need for cost-containment measures which are welcomed by almost everyone will have to take account on the introduction of new drugs and medical treatments.Here is just 1 example of this issue: a new anticancer drug for the treatment of melanoma could cost up to € 10,000 per month. Consequently, public authorities will have to negotiate very strongly with the pharmaceutical industry. All the more so as these advances in medical treatments which are of fundamental importance for many people arrive at a time of reduced public finances.

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