A recent WHO report shows grim health implications from Europe’s economic crisis, including a trend in Greece in which citizens infect themselves with HIV to access the meager range of government benefits available.
UPDATE: WHO admits 'erroneous' claim half of new HIV cases in Greece 'self-inflicted for cash'
The WHO report ‘Review of Social Determinants and the
Health Divide in the WHO European Region’ concludes that the
staggering levels of unemployment and mandated financial
austerity have hit European citizens hard, especially those in
Greece, where the jobless level stood at 27 percent in September.
The economic crisis that began in 2008 has “exacerbated”
health problems in parts of Europe, exposing “stark social and
economic inequities within and between countries.” Greece is
the hardest hit, with the country’s economy shrinking to the
point of nearly knocking it out of the eurozone completely.
The report published last week says the HIV rates in Greece have
risen “significantly” since 2008. It estimates about half
of new HIV infections are self-inflicted “to enable people to
receive benefits of 700 euro per month and faster admission on to
drug-substitution programs.”
However, The Press Project has pointed out an inaccuracy in the WHO report, saying the organization was not correct while quoting a 2011 study published in the Lancet, which “described accounts of deliberate self-infection by a few individuals,” but did not give exact statistics - “about a half,” as stated in the recent report.
RT’s is trying to contact the WHO for clarification and will update as soon as it receives response from the organization.
Suicide, homicide, theft rates on rise
Suicides, the WHO found, increased by 17 percent in Greece from
2007 to 2009, then a further 25 percent in 2010. As economic
conditions worsened in early 2011, suicide attempts went up 40
percent, according to the Minister of Health.
The report stresses that homicide and theft rates have doubled. Prostitution has also risen, "probably as a response to economic hardship," it adds.
The WHO says healthcare access in Greece has declined due to a 40
percent cut in hospital budgets. Approximately 26,000 health
workers - including 9,100 doctors - may lose their positions.
An EU survey included in the WHO study reported a 15 percent
increase in Greece between 2007 and 2009 of those who said they
would likely skip a dentist or doctor visit even though they
thought it was necessary.
“These adverse trends in Greece pose a warning to other
countries undergoing significant fiscal austerity, including
Spain, Ireland and Italy. It also suggests that ways need to be
found for cash-strapped governments to consolidate finances
without undermining much-needed investments in health,” the
report stated.
After Greece, Spain has the highest unemployment rate in the eurozone at 26 percent. Portugal is next, at 16.3 percent, according to FactSet Research.
To maintain support from the European Central Bank, Athens
has taken severe austerity measures. In May 2010, the eurozone
countries and the International Monetary Fund agreed on a
110-billion-euro bailout loan for Greece, which has come at a
very heavy price for the majority of Greeks. Citizens have seen
tax hikes even as their wages and pensions are cut. Six in 10
young people in Greece are currently jobless. Homelessness is
also on the rise.