Το νομικό πλαίσιο της φροντίδας υγείας και της κοινωνικής προστασίας των ευπαθών κοινωνικών ομάδων στην Ελλάδα
The legal framework for the health care and social protection of vulnerable groups in Greece
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Subject
Κοινωνική ιατρική ; Πολιτική υγείας ; Πρωτοβάθμια φροντίδα υγείας -- Ελλάδα ; Κοινωνική περιθωριοποίηση -- Ελλάδα ; Κοινωνική πρόνοια -- ΕλλάδαAbstract
The right of everyone to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health is a human right recognized at international, European and national levels. Europe as a whole is often perceived as a group of wealthy countries where social protection systems provide comprehensive protection and health care for the most vulnerable. Because of this perception, the persisting gaps in social protection coverage and inequities in access to health services experienced by vulnerable groups receive, sometimes, little attention. Within the European Union, the austerity programmes of the euro debt crisis by limiting social protection expenditures shrink the welfare state, which is one of the greatest achievements of the 20th century. As a matter of fact, many individuals or groups are at risk or have fallen into social exclusion. Among them, "high risk" for social deprivation are considered "vulnerable groups" that is, groups that face additional difficulties because of characteristics associated with gender, age, ethnic differences, occupation, income, physical disabilities.The debt crisis in Greece exposed a problematic welfare state, already unfit to help vulnerable groups cope with the emergency.Austerity budget cuts have been taken without sufficiently investigating the impacts on those in need. Such policies have sharpened the situation of vulnerable groups, particularly, at a time when their needs are increasing geometrically and the assistance of the welfare state is imperative to ensure that the crisis does not turn into a disaster.