Eurodebate: Without a healthy population, neither the economy nor defence works
A healthy population brings a competitive advantage to companies and countries, so they should focus as much as possible on prevention. A healthy population is also essential for the country’s defence capability – demographic trends suggest that filling our army could be a problem in the future. The participants of the Eurodebate of Ekonomický deník, Česká justice and Zdravotnický deník on the topic The Future of Europe – an Agenda for the New European Parliament and the European Commission, in which MEP Markéta Gregorová (Pirates) and other experts discussed the issue, agreed.
According to Markéta Gregorová, the health of the population is the greatest asset of any economy, without which it is doomed to a slow decline into oblivion. Therefore, according to her, it is an undeniably key factor for the competitiveness of businesses and the national economy. “It is probably needless to say that a healthy population is more productive, absents less frequently and generates lower health care costs. This directly contributes to lower insurance and social security costs. On behalf of the Czech Pirate Party, we see primary prevention as an essential part of health care policy and we certainly do not see it as a cost, but as an investment. Not to mention that it raises the standard of living in the long term and strengthens the country’s competitiveness in the global market,” Gregorová said in the Eurodebate.
Good population health is also one of the competitive advantages of companies and countries, according to Slavomír Šahin, an expert associate at the Institute for Central Europe. “Healthy employees produce for employers and contribute to the running of the state and society. During illness, people lose income, the employer loses production, society loses their contributions – taxes, levies, and during illness they also consume the common goods of the health and social system. Countries with healthier populations in the long term have more competitive companies and also win the competition for brains and talent in the global labour market, which further boosts the country’s economy,” Šahin described.
He stressed that prevention is always cheaper in healthcare than treating diseases that are detected at a later stage. “Apart from the direct cost of treatment, neglected prevention reduces the population’s ability to work and in the long run also shortens people’s overall working life,” he pointed out.
It is no coincidence that the health status of the population and the directly related life expectancy is used as a measure of the maturity of society and the economy as a whole, according to ACCESS EU Business Director Petr Válek. “Health is a prerequisite for employment in the labour market and in business. At the same time, quality care reduces the burden placed on the social system and hospital infrastructure. Investment in public health, disease prevention and the promotion of healthy lifestyles are key to ensuring a productive and innovative workforce, which is a prerequisite for long-term economic growth and stability,” said Válek in the Eurodebate.
The higher the quality of healthcare, the higher the life expectancy and quality of life. This is the equation, according to Viktor Daněk, director of the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, which is supported by global statistics. “And the higher the quality of healthcare, the higher the quality of life and the higher the chance of living. And the longer people can stay active and contribute to the country’s economic performance,” Daněk said. In the Eurodebate, he also pointed out that the Czech Republic is facing the problem of how to financially ensure at least the same quality of health care in the future as we have today, given that demographic changes will lead to parallel pressure on the pension system.
There is a shortage of suitable recruits
According to Markéta Gregorová, the health of the population – especially in the medium and long term – also plays a crucial role in the defence ministry and in the country’s defence capability in general. “Without a healthy population, we cannot build either a strong army or a resilient society. The health of the population directly affects the country’s ability to have enough physically and mentally fit individuals for military service,” Gregorová described.
Unfortunately, she said, demographic trends such as an ageing population will lead to a shortage of suitable recruits, which in the long run threatens the country’s defence capability. “Investing in health and disease prevention is therefore key to maintaining a sufficient number of individuals fit for military service, thereby ensuring the long-term stability and effectiveness of the defence forces. A healthy population is also essential for civilian support of military operations and overall societal resilience in crisis situations. It is during the conflict in Ukraine that we are seeing just how crucial a healthy society is to the defence of a country. Unfortunately, the victims of the aggressor are the very people who should have been developing the economy and raising their children, and are now falling victim to war. Without them, however, Ukraine would have lost the war long ago and would have become a mere vassal of a dictator with no will of its own. Which is a fate we all want to avoid,” Gregorová believes.
Mohlo by vás zajímat
Without investment in prevention and public health, she said, no one will be able to defend the country. “But a healthy nation that is willing to defend its homeland can deter an aggressor just by being prepared. It is similar in disease prevention – we can prevent a lot of diseases by adjusting our health style appropriately and following the basic rules of a healthy diet, sleep, exercise and mental health. Prevention, like defending the country, is not just one big decision, but hundreds of small ones every day. Just as defense is not just a matter of the heavy brigade, but has many necessary components, our decisions determine how we will feel in our sixties or seventies. And the common goal of all of us should be to maximise our life expectancy in health and freedom,” Gregorová outlined her view in the Eurodebate.
According to Slavomír Šahin, in the medium and long term, the impact of population health on the defence capacity of countries will increase. “While in the conflicts of the 20th century, the core of armies was made up of people in their twenties, due to demographic developments, in the 21st century it will be a much wider age range. Ukraine is currently fighting one of the first conflicts where this is evident. Due to the drop in the birth rate in the 1990s, their generation of twenty- and thirty-somethings is fundamentally smaller than in previous generations, and the age structure of the Ukrainian military reflects this. For example, estimates of demographic trends in Slovakia speak of an increase in the average age of the population from the current 42 to 43 years to just under 50 after 2050. To illustrate, the average age of Slovakia’s population in the 1980 census was 28 years . The health of 40- and 50-year-olds will be more important for defence capability in the 21st century than the health of 18-year-olds,” Šahin pointed out.
A healthy population is a necessity to ensure a sufficient number of physically and mentally fit individuals who can and are willing to be deployed in the defence forces, Petr Válek said in the Eurodebate. “Our professional army needs a large number of new recruits, and it will not get them unless candidates can demonstrate medical fitness and physical and mental readiness. Moreover, investment in the health of the population contributes to the growth of the economy, whose productivity provides resources for investment in the defence sector,” he added.
The health of the population affects the overall resilience of society to crises, including military conflicts, according to war. “A healthy population is better prepared to face stressful situations and recover more quickly from any damage. The best way to achieve better public health is through prevention, both in the form of education about healthy lifestyles and in the form of preventive health measures such as vaccinations, medical check-ups and food quality control,” Válek believes.
Viktor Daněk, who pointed out in the Eurodebate that the health of the population can then play a crucial role, also thinks that demographic changes may make it more difficult to fill the required numbers in the army. Therefore, he said, investment in prevention is essential, especially to increase the length of productive life and the overall chance of a longer life expectancy. “This reflects positively on the overall economic condition of the country, which in my opinion is an even more important factor for the country’s defensibility,” Daněk concluded.
Jakub Němec
Photo: Radek Čepelák
Jakub Němec
