Press Release
REPORT LAUNCH :
Children and pregnant women routinely denied access
to healthcare in
Europe
Doctors
of the World’s annual survey of access to healthcare in Europe is launched onMonday, May 18th2015at the Royal
Society of Medicine’s Chandos House in central London.
Based
on face-to-face medical and social consultations with 22,171 individuals last
year in nine European countries, the report finds more than half of the pregnant
women surveyed had not had access to antenatal care, putting both mother and
baby’s health at risk.
Shockingly,
only one-third (34.5%) of children seen across Europe had been vaccinated
against mumps, measles and rubella (MMR), and only slightly more (42.5%)
against tetanus.
The
vast majority of patients seen (91.3%) were living below the poverty line. Most
(93.6%) were foreign nationals who had on average been living in Europe for
more than six years.
Over
four fifths (84.4%) had survived at least one act of violence, 1 in 10 experienced violence
after arriving in Europe.
Of the
8.154 patients surveyed in Greece, 30.7% were Greek nationals, 53.2% women and
14% children.
More than 84.9% of patients had no healthcare coverage
at all. Foreign nationals without permission to reside have no rights to any
healthcare coverage, and Greeknationals and foreign citizens with permission to
reside also lose their healthcare coverage due to the lack of contributions
through their employment or their inabilityto pay for it.
As far as
children are concerned, 21.2% of them were not vaccinated against Tetanus,
33.3% had not received MMR vaccination at all and a total of 42.9% had no
knowledge of where to go for vaccination. It is worth mentioning that child
poverty rates have increased from 23% in 2008 to 40.5% in 2012.
Where:
The Royal Society of Medicine, Chandos House
When:
Monday 18 May, 4.00pm
Who:
BMJ Editor Dr Fiona Godlee; Dr Clare Shortall, paediatrician and Doctors of the
World UK volunteer; Lesley Page, President of the Royal College of Midwives; Jean Lambert, MEP; Leigh
Daynes, Executive Director, Doctors of the World UK.
The
presidents and executive directors from each of the organisation’s 15 countries will
be available for interview, including on related matters such as the migration
crisis in the Mediterranean.
Please
confirm your attendance to Nick Harvey
on nharvey@doctorsoftheworld.org.uk +44
(0) 207 167 5789
And contact him
also for more info & pre-interviews.
Sigma Press Office
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