Gestor bibliográfico Crisis y Salud

In 2008, European health ministers signed the Tallinn Charter, committing themselves to investment in health systems and other sectors contributing to health. Yet within a few months they found themselves in the middle of a global financial crisis and many faced calls to reduce spending dramatically. This paper reviews the causes and consequences of the 2008 financial crisis, contrasting the extensive evidence of the financial situation with the scarcity of evidence on contemporary patterns of health. It then reviews the experience of previous crises, noting a consistent pattern of increases in deaths from suicide and reductions in road traffic fatalities, while also showing how these can be affected by government policies and, in particular, the contribution of social welfare programmes to reducing suicides. It argues that the commitments made at Tallinn are even more important now, but examines some of the cognitive and political barriers that constrain their adoption. It concludes with a call for action by politicians now to place health and economic growth on a mutually reinforcing upward trajectory and avoid the possibility of a downward spiral.