Did Economic Crisis Affect Mortality Due to Infectious Diseases? Trends of Infectious Diseases Mortality in Greece Before and After Economic Crisis

Introduction Economic crisis and the restrictive policies applied in Greece and other countries raise questions about whether financial crises may affect the declining trend of infectious diseases. The aim of this study is to explore the impact of the economic crisis on mortality due to infectious diseases in Greece and its possible correlation with socio-economic variables affected by the crisis. Methods Data including all deaths due to infectious diseases in Greece during 2001-2016 were analyzed. Annual total and cause-specific standardized death rates (SDR) and age-specific mortality rates were calculated. Cumulative SDRs and standardized rate ratios of the exposed and the non-exposed to austerity periods were computed. The correlation of mortality with Gross Domestic Product (GDP), unemployment, long-term unemployment and hospital expenditure was explored. Results During the exposed-to-austerity period, the SDR of infectious diseases recorded a significant increase by 5% (2.4%-7.7%), exhibiting different trends in the various groups of diseases. The cause-specific SDR increased significantly in intestinal infections, viral diseases, pneumonia, and influenza, and declined in tuberculosis and meningitis. Overall mortality was positively correlated with GDP and unemployment, and adversely with hospital expenditure. Conclusions The mortality of infectious disease was adversely affected by economic crisis and austerity, but the effects were found disease-dependent, with significant differences between the various groups of infectious disease. Unemployment and hospital expenditure were the main socio-economic determinants of mortality. Causal mechanisms of the impact remain unclear, requiring further research.