Latest news with #MartinMcKee
Time of India
23-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Poor Europeans live longer than rich Americans, study reveals stark contrast
It's a common perception that a wealthy person, with comfort, stability, and access to top-tier healthcare, is more likely to live a longer and healthier life. But a new study challenges this belief and reestablishes an old saying: money isn't everything, at least not when it comes to health and longevity. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the study tracked nearly 74,000 individuals aged 50 to 85 across the US and 16 European countries from 2010 to 2022. Surprisingly, some of the poorest Europeans were found to outlive even the wealthiest Americans, revealing deep disparities tied to national healthcare systems and social structures. Europe vs. US: Wealth doesn't guarantee longevity Researchers divided Europe into three regions—northern and western, southern, and eastern—comparing survival rates to those in the United States. The US had the highest overall death rate at 6.5 per 1,000 people, while northern and western Europe had a much lower rate of 2.9. Even more telling, wealthy Americans had lower survival rates than everyone in northern and western Europe and were only on par with the poorest in those regions. This pattern persisted across multiple metrics. The poorest Americans died younger than their European counterparts, and the survival gap between America's rich and poor was the widest of any nation studied. According to researchers, factors like income inequality, limited access to healthcare, and weaker social support structures in the US help explain this disturbing trend. The role of welfare systems and social support Experts say Europe's stronger welfare policies likely play a major role in these outcomes. Countries like the Netherlands, France, and Germany provide broader access to healthcare, affordable housing, and public support for aging populations. Dr. Martin McKee, a professor of European public health, noted that robust social safety nets benefit not just the poor, but the middle class as well. Europe's universal healthcare systems, along with preventive care programs, income support, elder care, and housing assistance, create a protective framework that sustains public health across all socioeconomic groups. These policies don't only improve outcomes for those at the bottom—they raise the baseline for everyone. In contrast, the US approach—heavily reliant on employer-based insurance, private healthcare, and minimal government intervention—excludes millions and creates gaps even among those with stable incomes. The study controlled for major risk factors such as gender, education, smoking habits, and chronic illnesses, which strengthens its conclusion that national policy—not just personal behavior—plays a pivotal role in longevity. However, it did not account for the influence of racial disparities or the ultra-wealthy 1%, which researchers say could further widen the inequality picture. Still, the core message remains stark: a society's collective investment in healthcare and social support directly impacts how long and well its people live.
The Independent
20-04-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Brexit costs and red tape denying NHS cancer patients life-saving drugs, report finds
Brexit costs and red tape are denying British cancer patients life-saving drugs and trials of revolutionary treatments, a damning new report has warned. Soaring numbers are being diagnosed with cancer as the population grows alongside improvements in diagnosis and public awareness, heightening the importance of global cooperation on new treatments. But, five years after Britain left the European Union, an in-depth analysis has concluded that Britons with cancer have 'lost out' due to rising costs and post-Brexit red tape. By contrast, patients across Europe are enjoying a golden age of pioneering research and new treatments, it found. The leaked report, revealed by The Guardian, warned Brexit has 'damaged the practical ability' of doctors to offer NHS patients life-saving new drugs via international clinical trials. It found instances where the cost of importing new cancer drugs had nearly quadrupled due to post-Brexit red tape, while some trials have seen shipping costs jump 10 times since Britain pulled out of the EU. Extra rules and costs are having a 'significant negative impact' on cancer research in the UK and creating 'new barriers' that are 'holding back life-saving research' for Britons, the report found. The Independent has previously revealed how post-Brexit red tape has led to severe delays in drug supplies, increasing the risk facing NHS patients. Vital antibiotics, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drugs are among those that have seen their supplies hit, with the NHS forced to pay over the odds to get them into Britain. The new report was compiled by experts from organisations including Cancer Research UK, the University of Southampton, and Hatch, a research consultancy and cites evidence from leading scientists, researchers and clinicians. It cites three areas of UK cancer research that have been hardest hit by Brexit; the regulatory environment for clinical trials, workforce mobility and access to funding. Dr Martin McKee, a professor of European Public Health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, told The Guardian: 'Those of us who understood the EU warned repeatedly about precisely these concerns. 'These findings are not just predictable, they were predicted. 'It was always inevitable that Brexit would lead to costly duplication and barriers to collaboration.' The report comes amid Sir Keir Starmer 's post-Brexit with Brussels, after years of tense negotiations under the Conservatives. Ministers have promised to strengthen the UK's relationship with the EU on research as part of the prime minister 's bid to rebuild ties with the bloc. A government spokesman said: 'We are strengthening our relationship with the EU on research and have been providing extensive support for researchers to help them secure funding from the £80bn Horizon Europe programme and get more vital treatments from the lab to patients.'
