In London, researchers have found new evidence that Greece’s financial crisis is taking a toll on the health of its citizens, including rising rates of HIV, tuberculosis, depression, and even infant deaths.

            Since the economic crisis hit several years ago, the government’s health spending has been cut and hundreds of thousands of people have been left without health insurance. Previous studies have found that suicides in Greece have increased by about 45 percent between 2007 and 2011.  Economic hardships have been found to  be a major factor in depression, research finding it has more than doubled from 2008 to 2011.

            Some pregnant women no longer have access to health care, therefore the complications later on in their pregnancy can be more pronounced. Infant deaths, which had previously been falling, increased by more than 40 percent between 2008 and 2010. It is most likely linked to the fact that babies not getting enough to eat and fewer medical check-ups.

            The medical charity Doctors of the World confirmed the Greek financial crisis has had a devastating impact on health. Deputy director Nathalie Simmonot wasn’t very optimistic the Greek government would be able to reverse the situation anytime soon, slamming their 2012 reintroduction of a law that forces drug users, prostitutes, and immigrants to be tested for infection disease under police supervision. She sees it as a violation of privacy.

            I think the government needs more involvement in the health crisis. It needs to implement more laws- laws more recent that the 2012 reintroduction of the infectious disease testing one. The health of citizens are going downhill and the research has shown some dangerous data that is not going to get better on its own. Because the economy is the source of this downfall, it is the solution to the health crisis.

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