The “HEALTH 2020” and Greece. Contribution of general health check and screening

According to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the essential determinants of health are the percentage of smokers, overweight and obesity among adults, the alcohol consumption, the consumption of fruit and vegetable and physical activity. Prevention and its levels are seeking a modification of the determinants for the benefit of the citizens’ health. Greece is in a very difficult position, regarding the performance of “Health 2020” World Health Organization (WHO) objectives, and the future looks even more bleak. Preventive policy is necessary in order to achieve the goal of changing the behavioral risk factors, including an emphasis on primary level. The general health checks and screenings are debatable for their influence in morbidity and mortality, on the other hand they represent an important tool of prevention, which must be applied to high-risk groups

Keywords: Health determinants, Health 2020, prevention, morbidity, mortality, screening