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Rate of children with medical needs that were not treated at 1,4%

15/02/2019 16:40

In the European Union (EU) in 2017, 1.8% of children aged below 16 had medical needs that were not treated. This share was slightly higher for children living in households with one adult (2.2%) compared to those sharing households with two or more adults (1.8%). The highest share of children with unmet medical needs was reported in Belgium (8.7%) and Romania (7.4%), followed by Sweden (4.3%), Finland (3.3%) and Czechia (2.7%).

In Cyprus the same rate was 1.4% and in Greece 2.4%.

In contrast, the lowest share was reported in Austria (close to 0.0%), Germany (0.1%), and Hungary (0.2%), followed by Spain (0.3%), Croatia (0.4%), Malta (0.5%), Slovakia (0.6%) and Portugal (0.9%).

In 2017, 2.3% of children below 16 did not receive dental care that they needed. The highest share of children with unmet needs for dental care was reported in Latvia (7.3%), followed by Portugal (6.0%), Spain and Romania (both 5.7%).

However, in seven Member States this rate dropped to less than 1%, namely in Hungary (0.3%), Croatia (0.4%), Germany (0.5%), Luxembourg (0.7%), France, Austria and Slovakia (all 0.9%).

In Cyprus the same rate was 3.1% and in Greece 4.4%.

The information was gathered by interviewing one member of a household that included at least one child aged 15 or below. Children’s medical and dental needs can be unmet due to various reasons, such as inability to afford the treatment, long waiting lists, long travel times or no means of transport, or lack of time because of work or caring for family members or others.