COPENHAGEN, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Based on pre-pandemic data from 2019 in 40 European countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) has released new findings that show a worrying increase in "catastrophic health spending," which is forcing many families into poverty.
The WHO European Office in Copenhagen released a concerning report on Tuesday, coinciding with the United Nations-endorsed Universal Health Coverage Day.
The report showed that only 23 of the 40 countries in Europe could meet the health needs of over 99 percent of their population.
It also found that the poorest individuals are more likely to experience severe financial hardship due to the costs of healthcare.
According to the report, 60 percent of catastrophic health spending in the poorest 20 percent of households is attributed to spending on medicines on average across the 40 countries studied.
"Our report shows that already before the pandemic, people were facing an unacceptable level of catastrophic health spending," Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, said in a press release.
The report comes against the backdrop of global concern, with the WHO noting that over half of humanity, approximately 4.5 billion people, lacks access to essential health services. ■