(1) Background: To explore the effects of the 2008 economic crisis on maternal, perinatal and infant mortality in Greece and the socio-economic determinants associated with them; (2) Methods: The annual rates of stillbirth (SBR), perinatal mortality (PMR), infant mortality (IMR), neonatal mortality (NNMR), post-neonatal mortality (PNMR), low birth weight (LBW), and maternal mortality (MMR) were calculated for the years 2000–2016. Average Annual Percent Changes (AAPC) were calculated by the period before and after 2008. The expected rates of 2009–2016 and the observed-to-expected rate ratios (RR) were calculated. Correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were used to test the impact of socio-economic variables on health outcomes; (3) Results: A reverse in downwards trends of PNM, IMR, and NNMR is observed since 2009. All observed values of 2009–2016 were found significantly higher than the expected ones by 12–34%. All indicators except SBR were found negatively correlated with GDP and DHI. A positive correlation was found between IMR, NNMR, and LBW and long-term unemployment, and no association with public health expenditure; (4) Conclusions: Economic crisis was associated with remarkable adverse effects on perinatal outcomes and infant mortality, mainly determined by long-term unemployment and income reduction. The findings stress a need for interventions to protect maternity and child health during crises.

Background: Greece experienced the largest reduction in its health care budget of any European country during the economic crisis of 2008–15. Here, we test the hypothesis that budget reductions worsened health system performance in Greece, using the concept of Amenable Mortality to capture deaths which should not occur in the presence of effective and timely health care. Methods: Amenable mortality was calculated from national mortality statistics, using age-standardized deaths from 34 conditions amenable to medical intervention in Greece during 2000–16, with further analysis by sex, age, region and cause. Mortality rate ratios and their 95% CI were also computed. Interrupted time series analyses were performed to compare trends prior to austerity measures (2001–10) with those after (2011–16), adjusting for historical trends. Results: Prior to austerity measures, amenable mortality rates were declining. After 2011, coinciding with the inception of budget reductions, the slope of decline diminished significantly. The average annual percent of change in standardized death rates was 2.65% in 2001–10, falling to 1.60% in 2011–6. In 10 of 34 conditions, the SDR increased significantly after the crisis onset, and in five more conditions the long-term decline reversed, to increasing after 2011. The age-specific mortality rates observed in 2011–16 were significantly higher than those expected at ages 0–4 and 65–74 but not significantly higher in all other age groups. Conclusions: Health system performance in Greece worsened in association with austerity measures, leading to a deceleration of the decline in amenable mortality and increased mortality from several conditions amenable to medical interventions.

Background: The financial crisis affected several aspects of health. The aim of this study is to explore the impact of the crisis on mortality of mental illnesses in Greece and the socioeconomic determinants of mortality trends. Methods: Mortality data of 2000–16 were analyzed and sex-and-age-standardized death rates (SDRs) were calculated. The Average Annual Percent Change (AAPC) before and after the time point of slope change was computed. The crisis impact on SDRs was explored with interrupted time series analyses and standardized rate ratios (SRRs). The correlation of mortality with socioeconomic and healthcare-related variables was investigated with correlation and regression analyses. Results: A significant change in SDR trend was observed after 2012. The AAPC reversed from −2.9% to 94.5%, while the SRR was calculated at 6.1 (5.5–6.7). Income reduction, unemployment rise and health budget cuts were found to be significantly correlated with mortality rise. Conclusions: Financial crisis had a significant impact on mortality due to mental illnesses, especially in females and elderly. The findings indicate that mortality increase is more driven by socioeconomic and healthcare-related factors that affect access to appropriate healthcare than by morbidity trends. The findings have implications in planning interventions to provide appropriate healthcare to patients living with mental illness.

Background: There is limited data on vaccination practices for professional footballers globally. Aims: To record vaccination practices employed by medical staff of individual football teams of the Super League Greece, and absenteeism of footballers related to influenza illness. Methods: A brief questionnaire was distributed to chief medical officers (CMOs) of the sixteen teams of the Super League Greece. Participants were asked to report vaccines they recommended for footballers. In addition, the questionnaire included questions on new cases of influenza and absenteeism due to influenza. Descriptive statistics (absolute and relative frequencies) were used for the presentation of the results. Results: Overall, 87% of the CMOs recommended seasonal influenza vaccine, 62% hepatitis B vaccine and 50% pneumococcal vaccine. Fourteen CMOs (87%) reported that the occurrence of seasonal influenza in the 2016–17 northern hemisphere season ranged from one to five cases, while two medical officers (12%) reported zero workdays lost due to influenza. Conclusions: Our survey shows considerable variation in vaccination practices of CMOs of the Super League Greece. The results of this survey should stimulate further evaluation of vaccination policy and influenza-related absenteeism in footballers.