Rising unemployment and reduced public health spending in the two years after the 2008 financial crisis led to an estimated 260,000 additional cancer deaths in the countries of the Organisation for Economic Development (OECD), according to a new study
The apparent good news for Canadians is that countries with universal health care coverage are able to protect their citizens from increased deaths 鈥� so long as they don鈥檛 cut public health budgets.
The team of researchers looked at unemployment rates and rates of cancer deaths in 75 countries between 1990 to 2010.
They found that a one per cent rise in unemployment was associated with 0.37 additional cancer deaths per 100,000 people.
The researchers also broke down cancers into those considered 鈥渢reatable鈥� more often than not, such as breast and prostate cancer, and those considered 鈥渦ntreatable,鈥� such as lung and pancreatic cancer. They found the relationship between rising unemployment and rising deaths was only significant for the treatable cancers.
What鈥檚 more, the correlation was not significant in nations with universal health care, like the United Kingdom and Canada, suggesting a protective effect.
Co-author Rifat Atun that the results suggest people living in countries without universal health insurance 鈥� such as in United States 鈥� are more likely die as a result of late diagnosis or inadequate care when they employer-funded insurance.
The study also found that a one per cent decrease in public healthcare spending as a percentage of GDP was associated with a 0.0053 additional deaths from cancers per 100,000 people.
That shows that 鈥渉ealth care cuts could cost lives鈥� said lead author Dr. Mahiben Maruthappu.
鈥淚f health systems experience funding constraints, this must be matched by efficiency improvements,鈥� he said.
