The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies

2 October 2012

The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS) is very pleased to present the latest edition of the HCSS GeoRisQ Monitor: ‘Maladies of Prosperity’.

Many of our major health problems in Europe are the price we pay for progress. While the current status of health remains alarming in regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, Europeans in particular have experienced a steady improvement in health and living conditions over the past century: we are healthier, richer and live longer lives than ever before. Yet despite these achievements, a series of health problems continue to threaten our future wellbeing: the so-called ‘Maladies of Prosperity’. These maladies predominantly appear in the form of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and include diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and mental disorders.

The GeoRisQ Monitor ‘Maladies of Prosperity’ shows the challenges to public health that affect European countries (EU-27 + Norway + Switzerland). It does so by taking a closer look at how these countries fare with respect to three major underlying drivers and behavioral risk factors of NCDs, namely: Unhealthy Lifestyles, Aging, and Environmental Degradation.

To access the Monitor ‘Maladies of Prosperity’, please click on Go To This GeoRisQ Monitor, and select ‘Europe’ in ‘All Regions’ in the menu in the top right of your screen. To read our analysis, please click on Download Report. For more information on our method and sources, click Download More Info.

The Monitor 'Maladies of Prosperity' is part of the Strategy & Change project 'Grand Challenges', which aims to identify the most pressing future challenges for Europe, and looks at how research and development can help us to better cope with these challenges. This Monitor is a preview of an overall 'Health Monitor' that will accompany the 'Grand Challenge: Health' report for Strategy & Change and will be published next month.

Experts on this news