I read a scary article today. It posits that Greece is becoming a 3rd world country. This is centered on fallout of the country's economic woes. Due to the incredible cut-backs Greece has made in governmental spending & the lack of personal income, many Greeks are facing horrid circumstances. One of the hardest hit aspects of the Greek government was their healthcare system, which has suffered a 40% budget cut.
This is leading to a host of other things. They have abandoned their needle exchange service which has led to a drastic upswing in the number of HIV cases, most likely HepC as well. Another factor is the rise in prostitution as a source of income.
Adding to the issue, is a rise in the number of people who are suffering TB, Nile Fever & a record high level of malaria. This is being compounded by the acts of self-medication by the population. Drug use while sharing needles is increasing the spread of these illnesses. This is only being made worse by the people's inability to maintain private sector healthcare & the deterioration of the government healthcare system. These are sick people with few possibilities for assistance.
Even with the bailouts being made for the country, Greece is sliding into dark times. Between the economic hardships, the social unrest & the health disasters, this is a country on the brink. As scary as that sounds, it gets worse. Spain isn't fairing much better economically. Spain could be the next Greece. If Spain's healthcare system & job market become as burden as Greece's then it could very easily fall into same health nightmare as Greece.
This is very dangerous for us all.
Cya
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