The 2018 Health at a Glance: Europe joint report of the European Commission and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development issued this week shows that life expectancy in Malta is high and the population spend on average 90% of their lifespan in good health, longer than in any other EU country.

It also noted that the health system provides universal coverage and access to a comprehensive set of services, however private out-of-pocket payments remain high, the report said.

The report pointed that new public-private partnerships aimed at increasing capital investment and quality of care are “changing the role of the Ministry of Health from a pure provider to that of provider and contractor of services.”

The health profile for Malta is available in full for download by clicking here.

The Report noted that across the countries analysed the steady increase of life expectancy has slowed down and that large gaps across and within countries persist, “notably leaving people with a low level of education by the wayside.,” it said.

The report further calls for countries to improve mental health and preventing mental illness that not only have social consequences but are also estimated to cost more than 4% of GDP across the EU.

It also calls for addressing risk factors like smoking, alcohol and obesity, reducing premature mortality, ensuring universal access to care and strengthening the resilience of health systems.

This report is based upon comparative analyses of the health status of EU citizens and the performance of the health systems in the 28 Member States, 5 candidate countries and 3 EFTA countries.

Photograph by Alain Salvary

Permalink: Life expectancy in Malta is high according to new joint report