Almost half of Europeans can recover from the disease but do not receive the necessary treatment, according to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) published on Tuesday, DPA reports.

The European Regional Office of the WHO attributed this situation to the rapid aging of the European population, the increase in chronic diseases and the lack of awareness programs about the benefits of medical recovery.

• “Rehabilitation is an important health service that expands the focus on health beyond preventive and curative health care to define how people function.
• Rehabilitation should be available at all levels of health care, from primary to tertiary health care,” the World Health Organization notes.

If measures are not taken, European countries risk reaching a situation where their citizens will no longer be able to fully contribute to the development of society, added Hans Kluge, Director of the WHO Regional Office for Europe.

The WHO has included low back pain, bone fractures, hearing and vision loss, as well as stroke and dementia in the list of the most common diseases requiring medical rehabilitation in Europe.

• “In 2019, 394 million people in Europe experienced a health problem that required medical rehabilitation during this. This means that two people out of five,” said the European WHO, whose regional headquarters is in Copenhagen.

According to the report, medical evidence showed that medical rehabilitation interventions were cost-effective: “Rehabilitation has the potential to avoid costly hospitalizations and reduce hospital stays, reduce readmissions, and reduce the risks of complications from medical problems.”

The European region of the WHO consists of 53 countries, including the EU, as well as Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the states of Central Asia. (Source: Agerpres / Photo: Dreamstime.com)