OUR HEALTH POLICY MUST FOCUS ON PEOPLE, NOT ONLY ON DISEASES

Health care is often seen simply as a cost to be minimized. This is totally wrong.

It is not health which is a cost, but rather sickness. 

Figures estimating the costs of some largely avoidable diseases in Europe speak for themselves. The annual financial burden of lung diseases is over one hundred billion euros a year; and cardiovascular disease cost even more.

If the costs of ill health are so high, improving the population´s health must become an economic priority. Many of the diseases that are killing Europeans, anxiety, depression, suicide, cardiovascular disease are linked to a life-style and can be prevented.

Health is never a cost, it is an investment.

Our current health services focus on curing specific conditions. Our future health services must focus on people, not only on diseases. We need need to invest in prevention. We need to adapt health services so that they serve older people, children, all those in need. We have to increase the rights of patients, let them make informed choices. We have to help those who cannot exercice their rights. We have to fight against inequalities of health services.

But we are not alone in this battle. The World Health Organisation and the European Union are also working in the same direction. Their policies can be summarised on these points:

1. Invaluable role of prevention

2. Best care and treatment of sickness and diseases

3. Fight against stigma and discrimination for sick people

4. Importance of improving professional knowledge and public information

I was sad today when I went to a meeting at the Háskola í Reykjavik to discuss health policy and heard nobody talking about the WHO and EU policies and programs on nutrition, sport, mental health and knowledge/information. Only the representative of Samfylkingin mentioned one European principle (bravo!). We are not alone, there are many other professionals working to make these changes happen. Don´t we deserve to hear about their work?

On the other hand, I was happy to confirm that, for most of us, health is far more than an "election" issue. We all want to adopt long-term policies for society, not make quick promises for electoral purposes. 

Working together is the key to improving the system. Working together makes us stronger. Icelandic policy of health is going in the right direction but we need to follow, learn, participate in the international and european forums, discussions, platforms and initiatives whenever it is possible. This is a battle we cannot afford to loose.

Early investment in health reduces subsequent costs for the economy as a whole. The future economic growth and sustainable development of Iceland depends on our investment in health.

Let´s focus on people. Lets invest in health. Let´s not forget.