Greece faces chronic disease burden and critical blood shortages

A new national study, ‘Policy Roadmaps for Acting Early on Non-Communicable Diseases: Greece’, reveals that five major diseases account for 85% of the country's disease burden. These include cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, and chronic kidney disease. The report highlights that while life expectancy in Greece has reached 80.8 years, the quality of life in later years lags behind the EU average, with healthy years after age 65 limited to just 8.8 years.

The study identifies structural weaknesses in the National Health System (ESY), noting that over 40% of healthcare spending is directed toward hospitals, while only 3.1% is allocated to prevention. Risk factors such as smoking and childhood obesity (34%) remain high.

Simultaneously, Greece is facing a critical blood shortage. The Hellenic Thalassemia Federation has warned of postponed transfusions for patients due to low reserves. In Attica alone, approximately 1,000 units of blood are required daily, driven by tourism and seasonal accident rates. Reports indicate that patients at Nikaias General Hospital, Laiko Hospital, and Rio University Hospital have faced delays in receiving scheduled transfusions.