Sustainable development and the health care system in Poland – an outline of the problem

Abstract

One of the goals of sustainable development specified in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is to ensure “healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages health”. And while great progress has been made in recent years in improving people’s health situation, inequalities in access to health care still exist. The goal of reducing inequalities in access to health care is not easy to achieve, which is also evident in Poland, where, as in many other European countries, the health care system is under pressure due to rising costs and demand for services from an aging population. The consequences of this, for example, are shortages of medical personnel and problems with access to health care and long waiting times for health services. The shortage of medical professionals is a worldwide phenomenon. However, the ratio of physicians per 1,000 inhabitants is lower in Poland than in most Western European countries. The level of public funding is also lower. Additional efforts are therefore needed, on the way to the universal availability of medical services, and thus the realization of sustainable development goals. The aim was to introduce the topic and analyze the health care system in Poland from the perspective of sustainability issues, particularly access to health care.