1731-7398

Corruption in the health care sector: A persistent threat to European health systems

Gonzalez-Aquines

Alejandro

author Mohamed

Bassam Y.

author Kowalska-Bobko

Iwona

author

The University of Sheffield

05krs5044

Institute of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Cracow / Institute of Labour and Social Studies, Warsaw, Poland

Instytut Zdrowia Publicznego, Uniwersytet Jagielloński Collegium Medicum, Kraków

Correspondence to: Alejandro Gonzalez-Aquines Correspondence to: Bassam Y. Mohamed Correspondence to: Iwona Kowalska-Bobko

26 08 2021

Tom 19, Numer 2 2021 60 67

2021

<p>Corruption is commonly defined as the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. It is estimated that over 500 USD billion are lost every year due to corruption and that a 1-point change in the control of corruption indicator measured by the World Bank increases life expectancy by 0.44 years and reduces under-five mortality by 4.6 per 1,000 infants. Despite its global prevalence and critical impact on public and private services, corruption in the healthcare sector remains understudied. The present report aims to expand the knowledge on the paramount need to tackle corruption in healthcare by identifying the actors in the health system at risk to involving in corrupt practices, followed by defining health corruption from the governmental, non-governmental organisations, and societal perspectives, together with describing relevant corruption indicators from countries from the WHO European region. To conclude, this report presents a set of proposals and recommendations to address corruption in the healthcare sector.</p>

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