Usman Salis
⬤ Fresh numbers from Eurostat paint a concerning picture of healthcare access for kids across Europe. The data shows 3.2% of children aged 16 and under in the EU couldn't get the medical examinations and treatments they needed in 2024. What's striking is how much this varies from country to country, revealing that even in regions with well-established healthcare systems, some families are still struggling to get their children proper care.
⬤ Finland topped the list with 9.4% of children facing unmet medical needs - nearly three times the EU average. France came in second at 5.7%, while Ireland recorded 5.0%. Sweden and Poland rounded out the top five at 4.2% and 4.0%. It's worth noting these percentages reflect access problems rather than health quality, suggesting barriers like wait times, availability of specialists, or geographic challenges are keeping families from getting care.
⬤ The dental care situation looks even tougher. Across the EU, 4.0% of children missed out on needed dental services in 2024. Spain led with 7.5%, followed closely by Finland at 6.8% and France at 6.2%. Estonia and Ireland both crossed the 5% mark as well. The consistently higher numbers for dental care suggest kids' oral health services face unique accessibility hurdles in multiple countries.
⬤ These gaps matter because childhood health issues left untreated can snowball into bigger problems down the road. The data gives policymakers a roadmap showing exactly where children's healthcare access needs urgent attention, making it clear that despite Europe's generally strong medical infrastructure, there's still real work to do in ensuring every child can see a doctor or dentist when they need one.
Usman Salis
