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Commonwealth Health Partnerships 2015

Ma l t a Population over 65 16% Commonwealth Health Partnerships 2015 211 especially among women. Malta ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in 2003 and the amended Smoking in Public Places Regulation came into force in 2004. The rate of childhood obesity is one of the highest in the world. Current policy documents that focus on health promotion and primary prevention include the Non-Communicable Disease Strategy 2010, the National Cancer Plan 2011, the Sexual Health Strategy 2011, the Healthy Weight for Life Strategy 2012, the Tuberculosis Prevention Strategy 2012 and a strategy aimed at addressing the needs of dementia sufferers, together with their families and carers. Most of these strategy documents are target based, with impact assessments being prepared. Malta’s accession to the EU in 2004 was instrumental in driving policy on new legislation on health. A new Mental Health Act, promoting the rights of mental health patients and encouraging community treatment schemes, came into effect in 2013. A general Health Act was also approved by the Maltese parliament in 2013, creating a modern framework to separate policy from regulation and operations. Its focus on disease prevention and community services has led to the launch of Malta’s first cancer screening programmes. For definitions and sources see page 314. Universal health coverage In 2010 Malta’s public spending on health was six per cent of GDP, equivalent to US$1,697 per capita. Roughly a third of health care in Malta (34 per cent) was paid for by patients or funded by other non-governmental entities – such as private insurers, charities or employers – in 2012. Total health expenditure constituted 9.1 per cent of GDP in 2012, of which 66 per cent (US$350 per capita) was covered by the government. When Malta gained independence from the UK in 1964, it retained a health system modelled loosely on Britain’s National Health Service. Public health care is funded through taxation – all residents can get free health care in public health centres, clinics and hospitals. Virtually the only treatments that are not always covered are in vitro fertilisation and some cosmetic surgery. A WHO report in 2000 ranked Malta fifth in the world for its health system, beating the UK, France and the USA. For specialised treatment that is beyond the scope of Malta’s hospitals, there is an agreement with the UK that allows Maltese nationals to be treated in Britain. Women aged 50–59 in Malta and Gozo are invited to receive free breast screening every three years. Free immunisation is available for children, employees at risk of contracting TB or hepatitis and TB. Malta has signed and ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which includes ‘the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health’. The covenant commits signees to providing healthy and hygienic environmental conditions, controlling epidemic diseases, improving child health and facilitating access to health services without discrimination. Care of the elderly: Around 70,000 people in Malta are over the age of 65 – 22 per cent of the total population (2013). At the age of 60 a person living in Malta can be expected to live for an additional 22 years, on average (2013). Malta’s Age Pension system dates back to 1956. Today, monthly pension credits are paid by the state at a rate of US$586 per person (2007–12) on a means-tested basis. Overall, public pension spending is equivalent to nine per cent of the country’s total economic output (2010). Malta has a hospital dedicated to the elderly. St Vincent De Paul Residence serves as both a nursing home and a geriatric hospital with a total population of more than 1,100 residents. Living facilities are publicly funded, with residents contributing 80 per cent of their retirement pension or 60 per cent of other income. There are also a number of smaller public and private old people’s homes in Malta. The National Minimum Standards for Care Homes for Older People stipulate the minimum requirements for a facility to operate a care home. The Elderly Care Department in St Venera provides a range of services for older adults living either in stateowned residences or in their own homes, ranging from meals on wheels to home care support. The National Dementia Strategy is a comprehensive strategic framework aimed at delivering quality improvements in dementia services and addressing local shortfalls in dementia care. Its objective is to study, advise, and recommend the planning and development of services to provide high-quality care for individuals with dementia in the Maltese islands. A national colorectal cancer-screening programme was launched in 2012 for people over 60. Further information Ministry of Health, Elderly and Community Care: www.ehealth.gov.mt Commonwealth Health Online: www.commonwealthhealth.org/health/europe/malta


Commonwealth Health Partnerships 2015
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