World Health Day

The slogan of this year's World Health Day is »Health for All”

Health is one of the most important values ​​and it is the foundation of the quality of life. At this year’s World Health Day, which is celebrated on 7 April,  the World Health Organization is once again emphasising "universal access to health services: for everyone, everywhere," which means raising awareness that all people have access to the quality health services they need, when and where they need them, without financial hardship. The campaign focuses on the importance of improving health for all and reducing health inequalities.

Health is our greatest wealth

On average, seven out of ten Europeans assessed their general health in 2017 as very good or good, while in Slovenia, 65% of the population aged 16+ assessed their general health this way. The share of those who assessed their general health status as very good or good was the highest in Ireland (83%) and the lowest in Lithuania and Latvia (44%).

Data show that a person’s very good opinion about their health status has an important impact on their overall life satisfaction. In 2017, self-assessment of overall life satisfaction of those who considered their health status as very good was the highest: 8.2 points on a scale from 0 to 10 (average self-assessment of overall life satisfaction was in Slovenia 7.2). Apart from this, such a high self-assessment was recorded only by pupils and students.

Very good or good self-assessment of general health varies within Slovenia as well. The share of residents aged 16 or more who considered their general health to be very good or good was the highest (70%) in the Osrednjeslovenska statistical region and the lowest (56%) in the Pomurska statistical region.

The lowest average self-assessment of overall life satisfaction of residents aged 16 or more at the level of statistical regions was 6.8 points (on a scale from 0 to 10), and the highest 7.4 points.

The lowest average self-assessment (6.8 points) was recorded in Koroška and Posavska statistical regions and the second lowest (6.9 points) in the Pomurska statistical region. Residents of Gorenjska, Osrednjeslovenska and Jugovzhodna Slovenija rated their overall life satisfaction with the highest average rating, 7.4 points.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away

The frequency of eating fruit and vegetables can also be linked to self-assessment of general health. Among those who considered their general health very good, 67% had fruit and 73% vegetables on their menus at least once a day. On the other hand, among those who considered their health very bad, 64% were eating fruit at least once a day and 62% were eating vegetables at least once a day.

About seven out of ten residents of Slovenia aged 16 or more were eating fruit (69%) and vegetables (71%) at least once a day in a typical week of 2017, which is more than average vegetable and/or fruit eaten in the EU-28 overall (both by 64%). Fruit and/or vegetables were eaten at least once a week by almost 30% of the population in Slovenia and less frequently by fewer than 3% (both below the EU average).

According to the share of eating fruit at least once a day, Slovenia was 7^th, while according to the share of eating vegetables at least once a day, it was 9^th among the EU-28 Member States.

Physical activity is a source of health and health is a source of physical activity

Engaging in sport or recreation is largely consistent with the self-assessment of the general health. 68% of those who assessed their health as very good were in a typical week in 2017 involved in sport and recreational physical activity at least two and a half hours (according to the World Health Organization this is sufficient), while among those with very bad overall health assessment, the share was much lower, 31%. 

During a typical week in 2017, six out of ten Slovenian residents aged 16 or more were involved in sport and recreational physical activity for three hours or more per week, which is more than the EU average (45%); this ranks Slovenia 9^th among the EU-28 Member States. There were no significant differences between men and women. The most intensive (three hours or more per week) recreational physical activity among people was recorded in Estonia (84%). In Slovenia, there were 16% people who did not do any sport or recreational (leisure) physical activity during a typical week, which is less than the EU average (28%). The share of those who were not at all physically active during a typical week was the highest in Croatia (64%).

Out-of-pocket health expenditure lower than in most other countries

Although we sometimes have the feeling that we pay more and more for health services from our own pocket, which covers self-paying services and surcharges, a comparison with most European countries shows that we spend for health services from our own pocket less than most other countries. In Slovenia, these expenditures are still relatively low (12% in 2016; in the EU on average 22%), since most health services, medicines and medical devices are covered by compulsory and voluntary (complementary) health insurance. In 2016, lower shares of out-of-pocket health expenditure in total current expenditure on health services in the EU Member States than in Slovenia were recorded only in France (10%) and in the Netherlands and Luxembourg (11% each).

In 2016 most out-of-pocket expenditure was spent for medicines and medical devices (57%), followed by expenses for outpatient curative care (35%).

To what extent are the costs of medical and dental care a financial burden?

For 86% of the population of Slovenia (aged 16 or more) the use of at least one of the health services (treatment, examination by a general practitioner and/or specialist) over a period of one year before being interviewed in 2017 did not cause a financial burden, which implies good coverage of health services by compulsory and voluntary (complementary) health insurance. A greater financial burden (large or medium) was dental services (for 48% of the population) and payments or surcharges of medicines (for 52% of the population).