Romania is facing a visible discrepancy between the population's perception of their own health and the objective indicators of the medical system, according to an analysis conducted by the Bucharest Center for Economy & Society, released on Thursday.
Although more and more Romanians say they feel healthy, the data point to an unfavourable trend in key health indicators such as the impact of chronic diseases, recourse to primary care and the number of healthy life years.
Between 2008 and 2023, the mortality rate caused by the main chronic diseases, namely cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and respiratory illnesses, rose by around 10%, from 743.7 to 818.2 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics analysed by CES Bucharest.
'The increase is all the more worrying as these conditions are largely preventable or manageable through early diagnosis and constant monitoring,' the study reveals.
The most accelerated development was recorded in the case of respiratory diseases, where the mortality rate doubled between 2008 and 2023, from 54.6 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in 2008 to 112.9 in 2023. 'This trend indicates not only the cumulative effects of risk factors, but also the absence of early detection and proper management of these conditions,' the quoted source mentions.
Over the same period, the mortality rate associated with diabetes rose by more than 50%, from 9.8 to 15 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants.
In the case of cardiovascular diseases, although the level remained relatively stable in percentage terms, the absolute number of deaths increased, these conditions remaining the leading cause of death, with 690 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023.
According to the same source, a key indicator that may explain these developments is the decline in recourse to general practitioners. The average number of residents returning to their GP over the course of a year fell from 1,949 persons per doctor in 2008 to 1,512 in 2024.
'This trend suggests fewer preventive check-ups, late diagnosis of chronic diseases and a weaker relationship between patients and the primary care system. In the absence of constant interaction with the medical system, diseases progress silently and patients enter the system only at advanced stages, thus generating much higher social and financial costs,' the study underlines.
In Romania, the total annual cost estimated as the direct impact of a group of five major chronic diseases, stroke, ischaemic heart disease, type 2 diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and breast cancer, exceeds 10 billion euros, including direct medical expenditure, productivity losses and socio-economic impact, according to the latest report of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries.
Data on the self-reported health status of persons aged over 16 show that between 2015 and 2024 the percentage of those declaring they feel in very good health rose from 26.7% to 31.7%, while the percentage of Romanians who say their health is good remained constant at around 43%.
At the same time, the share of people reporting poor or very poor health fell from 8.5% to 5.4%, suggesting an overall favourable perception of their own health.
Only 1.9% of Romanians aged over 65 declare their health to be very good and almost 74% self-report a health status ranging from 'fair' to 'poor' or 'very poor'.
Meanwhile, a Romanian lives on average only 59 years without major health limitations, ten years fewer than an Italian, 69 years, and four years fewer than a Pole, according to Eurostat.
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