In this report, Doctors of the World presents its latest observations on the social health determinants and health status of people facing multiple vulnerability factors whom we helped in accessing healthcare across our 160 European programmes during 2012.

The report presents some of the results of comparative data collected in 14 cities across seven countries. It covers a sample of 8,412 patients, 19,302 consultations (including 10,968 medical consultations) and 11,921 diagnoses reported by our volunteer health professionals. In order to capture the context in which this data collection took place, a concise update on the national legislations of these seven countries has been included. We also added to the quantitative data a number of qualitative reports from our field teams on the most important European trends identified by our network.

2012 has been marked by a social and economic crisis that has generated austerity measures which are having an impact on social protection schemes, including healthcare services. At the same time, rising unemployment and poverty across Europe have generated extreme right statements stigmatising migrants. We have noticed a rise in xenophobic acts and regulations in Greece and in other European countries.

Another effect of the increase in poverty is a rise in internal migration. EU citizens who are destitute and have no health coverage are considered in
the same way as undocumented migrants from outside the EU if they need medical care.

Download this publication here (PDF).

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