Health in France

Average life expectancy in France at birth is 81 years.[1][2]

Healthcare issues in France

Obesity in France

Even though French are among the thinner Europeans (see chart below), obesity in France has been increasingly cited as a major health issue in recent years. It is now considered a political issue whereas just a few years prior it would only have been an issue reported on television talk shows or in women's magazines.[3] There is a myth about French people not getting overweight or obese[4] however France is only ranked as the 128th fattest country in the World,[5] one of the lowest rank among developed countries and French food has long been studied for its healthy diet.

CountryAverage weightBMI[6]Daily Calorie IntakeSource
United Kingdom80 kg292,200[7]
Italy74 kg262,100
Germany73.5 kg262,400
France68 kg242,200

Public health

France, as all EU countries, is under an EU directive to reduce sewage discharge to sensitive areas. In 2006, France was only 40% in compliance, one of the lowest achieving countries in the EU with regard to this waste-water treatment standard[8]

Vaccination

In France, the High Council of Public Health is in charge of proposing vaccine recommendations to the Minister of Health. Each year, immunization recommendations for both the general population and specific groups are published by the Institute of Epidemiology and Surveillance.[9] Since some hospitals are granted additional freedoms, there two key people responsible for vaccine policy within hospitals: the Operational physician (OP), and the Head of the hospital infection and prevention committee.

Mandatory immunization policies on BCG, diphtheria, tetanus, and poliomyelitis began in the 1950s and policies on Hepatitis B began in 1991. Recommended but not mandatory suggestions on influenza, pertussis, varicella, and measles began in 2000, 2004, 2004, and 2005, respectively. According to the 2013 INPES Peretti-Watel health barometer, between 2005 and 2010, the percentage of French people between 18–75 years old in favor of vaccination dropped from 90% to 60%. Conversely, those who claimed to be anti-vaccination increased from 8.5% in 2005 to 38.2% in 2010.[10]

Since 2009, France has recommended meningococcus C vaccination for infants 1–2 years old, with a catch up dosage up to 25 years later. French insurance companies have reimbursed this vaccine since January 2010, at which point coverage levels were 32.3% for children 1–2 years and 21.3% for teenagers 14–16 years old.[11] In 2012, the French government and the Institut de veille sanitaire launched a 5-year national program in order to improve vaccination policy. The program simplified guidelines, facilitated access to vaccination, and invested in vaccine research.[12] In 2014, fueled by rare health-related scandals, mistrust of vaccines became a common topic in the French public debate on health.[13] According to a French radio station, as of 2014, 3 to 5 percent of kids in France were not given the mandatory vaccines.[13] Some families may avoid requirements by finding a doctor willing to forge a vaccination certificate, a solution which numerous French forums confirm. However, the French State considers "vaccine refusal" a form of child abuse.[13] In some instances, parental vaccine refusals may result in criminal trials. France's 2010 creation of the Question Prioritaire Constitutionelle (QPC) allows lower courts to refer constitutional questions to the highest court in the relevant hierarchy.[14] Therefore, criminal trials based on vaccine refusals may be referred to the Cour de Cassation, which will then certify whether the case meets certain criteria. In May 2015, France updated its vaccination policies on diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis, polio, Haemophilus influenzae b infections, and hepatitis B for premature infants.[15] As of 2015, while failure to vaccinate is not necessarily illegal, a parent's right to refuse to vaccinate his or her child is technically a constitutional matter. Additionally, children in France cannot enter schools without proof of vaccination against diphtheria, tetanus, and polio.[16] French Health Minister, Marisol Touraine, finds vaccinations "absolutely fundamental to avoid disease," and has pushed to have both trained pharmacists and doctors administer vaccinations.[16] Most recently, the Prime Minister's 2015–2017 roadmap for the "multi-annual social inclusion and anti-poverty plan" includes free vaccinations in certain public facilities.[17] Vaccinations within the immunization schedule are given for free at immunization services within the public sector. When given in private medical practices, vaccinations are 65% reimbursed.[18]

See also

Health care in France

References

  1. ↑ Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. "OECD Health Data 2008: How Does Canada Compare" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 May 2013. Retrieved 9 January 2009.
  2. ↑ "Updated statistics from a 2009 report". Oecd.org. Archived from the original on 5 March 2010. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  3. ↑ Sciolino, Elaine (25 January 2006). "France Battles a Problem That Grows and Grows: Fat". New York Times. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
  4. ↑ Rosenthal, Elisabeth (4 May 2005). "Even the French are fighting obesity". New York Times. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
  5. ↑ Streib, Lauren (8 February 2007). "World's Fattest Countries". Forbes. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
  6. ↑ In the Western world, from 18.5 to 25 BMI is considered normal, overweight ranges from 25 to 30 BMI.
  7. ↑ Freeman, Sarah (14 December 2010). "Obesity still eating away at health of the nation". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 18 December 2010.
  8. ↑ "Water – a precious resource". European Environment Agency. 2004. Archived from the original on 14 February 2008. Retrieved 13 March 2008.
  9. ↑ Loulergue P. "Survey of Vaccination Policies in French Healthcare Institutions" (PDF). Clinical Research Center for Vaccinology Cochin Hospital.
  10. ↑ Cáceres M. "The French National Debate on Vaccine Safety". The Vaccine Reaction. National Vaccine Information Center.
  11. ↑ Stahl JP, Cohen R, Denis F, Gaudelus J, Lery T, Lepetit H, Martinot A (February 2013). "Vaccination against meningococcus C. vaccinal coverage in the French target population". Medecine Et Maladies Infectieuses. 43 (2): 75–80. doi:10.1016/j.medmal.2013.01.001. PMID 23428390.
  12. ↑ Loulergue P, Floret D, Launay O (July 2015). "Strategies for decision-making on vaccine use: the French experience". Expert Review of Vaccines. 14 (7): 917–22. doi:10.1586/14760584.2015.1035650. PMID 25913015.
  13. 1 2 3 Rouillon E. "Charges Against French Parents Stir Mandatory Vaccination Debate". VICE NEWS. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  14. ↑ Reiss DR. "Freedom To Ignore French Vaccination Program – A Court Case". Skeptical Raptor. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  15. ↑ "Avis Et Rapports Du HCSP". HCSP. Haut Conseil De La Sante Publique. Missing or empty |url= (help)
  16. 1 2 Greenhouse E. "How France Is Handling Its Own Vaccine Debate". Bloomberg.
  17. ↑ ""The Fight against Poverty: "The Challenge Is to Preserve Our Social Model and Its Underlying Values""". General Assembly on Social Work.
  18. ↑ "Prevention En Sante". Ministere De Affaires Sociales Et De La Sante. French Government. Missing or empty |url= (help)
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