Abstract
Resources are one of the essential indicators for the functioning of the health care system. Better health care provision is an essential prerequisite for the export of services. Traditionally a competitive health care system is linked to a number of factors (price, quality, reliability, products and services) largely determined by the new technologies, innovations and implementation the new methods. The authors of this article analyzed and collected data from the European Commission Eurostat and OECD data. Current situation in health care in Latvia is characterized by populations’ restricted access to health care services, high out-of-pocket payments and poor health outcomes of the population. More than 10% of Latvian population can’t afford medical care. The ratio of public funding for healthcare in Latvia is among the lowest in EU countries. Latvia spends 5.3% (USD PPP 1217) of GDP on health, lower than the OCED country average of 8.9% (USD PPP 3453). Latvia is facing a dramatic gap between the availability of hospital beds and long term care beds and the lowest prevalence of general medical practitioners among all Baltic States 321.6 per 100 000. These mentioned factors may hinder the development of health care in Latvia and reduce the ability to participate in international health service market.
Highlights
Good health benefits in all sectors of economy and the whole of society are making it a valuable resource
The share of health expenditure as a percentage of total general government expenditure declined from 10.6% in 2008 to 9.2% in 2010 and the Ministry of Health budget dropped by 12.6% in 2009 and by 1.5% in 2010, public health expenditure constituting around 3% from gross domestic product (GDP)
Assessing the available data and information, one can see that Latvia has great opportunities, capability and potential for further improvement among European Union member states in the field of health care
Summary
Good health benefits in all sectors of economy and the whole of society are making it a valuable resource. Good health is essential for economic and social development and a vital concern to the lives of every single person, all families and communities. As stated in the World Health organizations (WHO Constitution): “The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being”. To achieve this goal it is necessary to target the health inequities and inequalities in the country. The Health 2020 strategy stresses that investing in health makes sense, especially by growing the GDP for health. In recent years European health systems are being required to improve their performance and respond to new challenges
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