The World Health Organization (WHO) notes that 1 in 5 households in Europe experiences high expenses due to healthcare costs. According to the report, which analyzed 45 European countries, it is said that Albanians also spend more than countries in the region on medicines, medical products and laboratory and imaging tests.
The report highlights that up to 20% of households across Europe experience catastrophic health expenses, costs driven mainly by out-of-pocket payments for medicines, limiting people from paying for other basic needs such as food, shelter and heating.
According to the WHO, the financial hardship caused by out-of-pocket payments for medicines, medical products (such as hearing aids) and dental care affects millions of people – even in the richest countries of Europe – further worsening their financial situation and even pushing many into poverty. In most of the countries surveyed, health spending has increased over the years.