Here’s the translation to American English:
In 2024, 3.6% of individuals aged 16 and older in the European Union who required a medical exam or treatment were unable to access it due to economic reasons, long waiting lists, or distance to healthcare providers. This figure highlights a persistent issue affecting access to health services in the region.
Greece ranks as the country with the highest proportion of unmet medical needs, with an alarming 21.9% of its population reporting difficulties in receiving care. It is followed by Finland at 12.4%, and Estonia, where the percentage rises to 11.2%. On the other end, some of the countries with the lowest rates of unmet medical needs include Cyprus (0.1%), Malta (0.5%), and the Czech Republic (0.6%).
The situation is even more complicated for those at risk of poverty, who experience a significantly greater impact on their ability to access medical services. 6.0% of this group reported unmet needs, compared to just 3.2% of those not at risk. The most notable differences between the two categories are observed in Greece, where the gap is 12.7 percentage points, followed by Romania at 10.7 pp, and Latvia at 9.9 pp.
This scenario reflects the disparities in access to healthcare within the European Union, underscoring the urgency of addressing these inequalities to ensure that all citizens have adequate access to the health services they need.
Source: MiMub in Spanish