Healthcare in Croatia

Last updated

Croatia has a universal health care system, whose roots can be traced back to the Hungarian-Croatian Parliament Act of 1891, providing a form of mandatory insurance of all factory workers and craftsmen. [1] The population is covered by a basic health insurance plan provided by statute and optional insurance and administered by the Croatian Health Insurance Fund. In 2012, annual compulsory healthcare related expenditures reached 21.0 billion kuna (approximately 2.8 billion euro). [2]

Contents

Expenditure

Healthcare expenditures comprise 0.6% of private health insurance and public spending. [3] In 2012, Croatia spent 6.8% of its GDP on healthcare, [4] down from approximately 8% estimated in 2008, when 84% of healthcare spending came from public sources. [5] Croatia ranked around the 50th in the world in life expectancy with 73 years for men and 79 years for women, and it had a low infant mortality rate of 6 per 1,000 live births. [4]

Institutions

There are hundreds of healthcare institutions in Croatia, including 79 hospitals and clinics with 25,285 beds, caring for more than 760,000 patients per year. [6] Ownership of hospitals is shared between the state and the Counties of Croatia. [7] There are 5,792 private practice offices, and a total of 46,020 health workers in the country, including 10,363 medical doctors. [8] There are 79 emergency medical service units that performed more than one million interventions in 2012. [9]

The Euro health consumer index placed it 16th in Europe, commenting that it did well with kidney transplants, performing more than 50 per million per year, and speculating that it might become a health tourism destination, as a state-of-the-art hip joint operation can be had for €3000. [10]

Health

The principal cause of death in 2011 was cardiovascular disease at 41.7% for men and 55.4% for women, followed by tumours, at 31.7% for men and 22.8% for women. [11] In 2012 only 20 Croatians had been infected with HIV/AIDS and 6 had died from the disease. [12] In 2008 it was estimated by the WHO that 27.4% of Croatians over age of 15 are smokers. [13] According to 2003 WHO data, 22% of the Croatian adult population is obese. [14] It had the second lowest rate of death from communicable diseases in Europe (12 per 100,000) in 2015. [15]

COVID-19 pandemic

On 25 February 2020, Croatia confirmed its first case. A 26-year-old man who had stayed in Milan, Italy from 19 to 21 February tested positive and was hospitalised at the University Hospital for Infectious Diseases Dr. Fran Mihaljević in Zagreb, Croatia. [16]

The country had a national response to the pandemic, with a crisis headquarters formed by the government, led by the Minister of Health and including contributions from the Croatian Public Health Institute, Andrija Štampar School of Public Health in Zagreb, and other relevant institutions. The crisis management led to a widespread enforcement of social distancing rules, and later to widespread vaccination campaigns.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Croatia</span> Country in Southeast Europe

Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe. Its sole coast is on the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro to the southeast, and shares a maritime border with Italy to the west and southwest. Its capital and largest city, Zagreb, forms one of the country's primary subdivisions, with twenty counties. The country spans 56,594 square kilometres, and has a population of nearly 3.9 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Croatia</span> Geographic features of Croatia

The geography of Croatia is defined by its location—it is described as a part of Central Europe and Southeast Europe, a part of the Balkans and Southern Europe. Croatia's territory covers 56,594 km2 (21,851 sq mi), making it the 127th largest country in the world. Bordered by Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia in the east, Slovenia in the west, Hungary in the north and Montenegro and the Adriatic Sea in the south, it lies mostly between latitudes 42° and 47° N and longitudes 13° and 20° E. Croatia's territorial waters encompass 18,981 square kilometres (7,329 sq mi) in a 12 nautical miles wide zone, and its internal waters located within the baseline cover an additional 12,498 square kilometres (4,826 sq mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of Croatia</span> Characteristics of Croatian population

The demographic characteristics of the population of Croatia are known through censuses, normally conducted in ten-year intervals and analysed by various statistical bureaus since the 1850s. The Croatian Bureau of Statistics has performed this task since the 1990s. The latest census in Croatia was performed in autumn of 2021. According to final results published on 22 September 2022 the permanent population of Croatia at the 2021 census had reached 3.87 million. The population density is 68.7 inhabitants per square kilometre, and the overall life expectancy in Croatia at birth was 78,2 years in 2018. The population rose steadily from 2.1 million in 1857 until 1991, when it peaked at 4.7 million. Since 1991, Croatia's death rate has continuously exceeded its birth rate; the natural growth rate of the population is negative. Croatia is in the fourth stage of the demographic transition. In terms of age structure, the population is dominated by the 15 to 64 year‑old segment. The median age of the population is 43.4, and the gender ratio of the total population is 0.93 males per 1 female.

Health care reform is for the most part governmental policy that affects health care delivery in a given place. Health care reform typically attempts to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sutla</span> River in Slovenia, Croatia

The Sutla (Croatian) or Sotla (Slovene) is a river flowing through Slovenia and Croatia, mostly forming their border. It is a tributary to the Sava, itself a tributary to the Danube. It is 89 kilometres (55 mi) long and has a watershed area of 584 square kilometres (225 sq mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Counties of Croatia</span> Regional administrative division of Croatia

The counties of Croatia are the primary administrative subdivisions of the Republic of Croatia. Since they were re-established in 1992, Croatia has been divided into 20 counties and the capital city of Zagreb, which has the authority and legal status of both a county and a city. As of 2015, the counties are subdivided into 128 cities and 428 municipalities. The divisions have changed over time since the medieval Croatian state. They reflected territorial losses and expansions; changes in the political status of Dalmatia, Dubrovnik and Istria; and political circumstances, including the personal union and subsequent development of relations between the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia and the Kingdom of Hungary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Healthcare in Germany</span> Overview of healthcare in the Federal Republic of Germany

Germany has a universal multi-payer health care system paid for by a combination of statutory health insurance and private health insurance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Healthcare in Russia</span> Overview of the health care system in Russia

Healthcare in Russia is provided by the state through the Federal Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund, and regulated through the Ministry of Health. The Constitution of the Russian Federation has provided all citizens the right to free healthcare since 1993. In 2008, 621,000 doctors and 1.3 million nurses were employed in Russian healthcare. The number of doctors per 10,000 people was 43.8, but only 12.1 in rural areas. The number of general practitioners as a share of the total number of doctors was 1.26 percent. There are about 9.3 beds per thousand population—nearly double the OECD average.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Health care in Turkey</span> Overview of the health care system in Turkey

Healthcare in Turkey consists of a mix of public and private health services. Turkey introduced universal health care in 2003. Known as Universal Health Insurance Genel Sağlık Sigortası, it is funded by a tax surcharge on employers, currently at 5%. Public-sector funding covers approximately 75.2% of health expenditures.

Healthcare in Finland consists of a highly decentralized three-level publicly funded healthcare system and a much smaller private sector. Although the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has the highest decision-making authority, the municipalities are responsible for providing healthcare to their residents.

The French health care system is one of universal health care largely financed by government national health insurance. In its 2000 assessment of world health care systems, the World Health Organization found that France provided the "best overall health care" in the world. In 2017, France spent 11.3% of GDP on health care, or US$5,370 per capita, a figure higher than the average spent by rich countries, though similar to Germany (10.6%) and Canada (10%), but much less than in the US. Approximately 77% of health expenditures are covered by government funded agencies.

Healthcare in Georgia is provided by a universal health care system under which the state funds medical treatment in a mainly privatized system of medical facilities. In 2013, the enactment of a universal health care program triggered universal coverage of government-sponsored medical care of the population and improving access to health care services. Responsibility for purchasing publicly financed health services lies with the Social Service Agency (SSA).

The United States far outspends any other nation on health care, measured both in per capita spending and as a percentage of GDP. Despite this, the country has significantly worse healthcare outcomes when compared to peer nations. The United States is the only developed nation without a system of universal health care, with a large proportion of its population not carrying health insurance, a substantial factor in the country's excess mortality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Healthcare in Austria</span> Overview of the health care system in Austria

The nation of Austria has a two-tier health care system in which virtually all individuals receive publicly funded care, but they also have the option to purchase supplementary private health insurance. Care involving private insurance plans can include more flexible visiting hours and private rooms and doctors. Some individuals choose to completely pay for their care privately.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Health care systems by country</span> Health care system comparison of various countries

This article provides a brief overview of the health care systems of the world, sorted by continent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Healthcare in Luxembourg</span>

Healthcare in Luxembourg is based on three fundamental principles: compulsory health insurance, free choice of healthcare provider for patients and compulsory compliance of providers in the set fixed costs for the services rendered. Citizens are covered by a healthcare system that provides medical, maternity and illness benefits and, for the elderly, attendance benefits. The extent of the coverage varies depending on the occupation of the individual. Those employed or receiving social security have full insurance coverage, and the self-employed and tradesmen are provided with both medical benefits and attendance benefits. That is all funded by taxes on citizens' incomes, payrolls and wages. However, the government covers the funding for maternity benefits as well as any other sector that needs additional funding. About 75% of the population purchases a complementary healthcare plan. About 99% of the people are covered under the state healthcare system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women in Croatia</span> Overview of the status of women in Croatia

Women in Croatia form half the population and in modern Croatian culture they are largely equal to men.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Croatia–North Macedonia relations</span> Bilateral relations

Croatia–North Macedonia relations are foreign relations between Croatia and North Macedonia. Two countries established diplomatic relations on 30 March 1992. Croatia is represented in North Macedonia via its Embassy in Skopje and honorary consul in Strumica while North Macedonia is represented in Croatia via its Embassy and the Cultural and Informational Center in Zagreb as well as consulate in Rijeka and honorary consul in Zadar.

References

  1. Siniša Zrinščak (February 2003). "Socijalna politika u kontekstu korjenite društvene transformacije postkomunističkih zemalja" [Social Policy in the Context of Thorough Social Transformation of Post-Communist Countries]. Revija za socijalnu politiku (in Croatian). 10 (2): 135–159. doi: 10.3935/rsp.v10i2.124 . ISSN   1330-2965 . Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  2. 2013 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia , p. 548
  3. Marijana Matković (27 September 2011). "Ulaskom u EU Hrvatska će imati najveću potrošnju za zdravstvo" [After the EU accession Croatia will have the maximum healthcare spending]. Vjesnik (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 17 December 2011. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  4. 1 2 "Croatia". who.int. World Health Organization . Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  5. Etibar Jafarov; Victoria Gunnarsson (May 2008). "Government Spending on Health Care and Education in Croatia: Efficiency and Reform Options" (PDF). International Monetary Fund . Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  6. 2013 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia , p. 529
  7. "Croatia". European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  8. 2013 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia , pp. 527–528
  9. 2013 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia , p. 535
  10. "Outcomes in EHCI 2015" (PDF). Health Consumer Powerhouse. 26 January 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  11. 2013 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia , p. 118
  12. 2013 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia , p. 539
  13. Marija Crnjak (10 January 2008). "U Hrvatskoj se puši manje nego u EU" [Fewer smokers in Croatia than in the EU] (in Croatian). Poslovni dnevnik. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  14. "Croatia". World Health Organization. Archived from the original on July 26, 2009. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  15. Ballas, Dimitris; Dorling, Danny; Hennig, Benjamin (2017). The Human Atlas of Europe. Bristol: Policy Press. p. 66. ISBN   9781447313540.
  16. "Croatia latest European country to confirm coronavirus case". The Guardian. 25 February 2020.

Sources