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Data on the epidemiology of serious fungal infections in Greece are scarce. Our aim was to calculate the burden of serious fungal diseases in Greece. A thorough literature search for papers reporting epidemiological data on serious fungal diseases in Greece was performed. Where no Greek data existed, we used a structured set of assumptions to estimate fungal disease burden, based on specific high-risk populations. Of the 10.8 million population, 85.5 % are adults and 27 % are over 60 years of age. The annual fungal disease estimates are as follows: 142,337 Greek women get recurrent vaginal thrush (2,632 cases/100,000 females); there are 889 cases of esophageal candidiasis (8.2 cases/100,000); annual incidence of Pneumocystis pneumonia is 112 cases; chronic pulmonary aspergillosis prevalence is 386 cases; there are 20,843 patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis and 27,744 with severe asthma with fungal sensitization; candidaemia incidence is 541 cases (5.0/100,000); there are 81 cases of Candida peritonitis; invasive aspergillosis occurs in 1,125 patients. According to our calculations, 194,067 individuals (1.79 cases/100,000) in Greece suffer from serious fungal diseases each year. This is the first attempt to determine the burden of fungal diseases in Greece, and provides a crude estimate on its impact on public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the assessment of alternative aspects of the efficiency of 98 out of 126 hospitals of the Greek national health system. The analysis is directly concerned with the degree of utilisation of resources and the production efficiency of the general hospitals selected. For the measurement of the indices or efficiency, the internationally known method of Data Envelopment Analysis (modified to the particular characteristics of the Greek NHS) was used. The efficiency of Greek hospitals was assessed utilising two alternative conceptual models: one focusing on production and the other on cost efficiency. The results, in both cases, indicated the scope for substantial efficiency improvements. The analysis has sought to discuss the policy implications resulting from the current efficiency status of the hospitals with reference to issues of resource re-allocation and optimal scale size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies conducted over the past decades have provided substantial evidence that both the long- and the short-term exposures to ozone and particulate matter are responsible for mortality and cardiopulmonary morbidity. This paper examines the relationship between exposure to ambient concentrations of ozone (O) and particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter of less than 10 μm (PM) and public health and provides the quantification of the burden of disease from PM and O-related mortality and morbidity through a Life Cycle Impact Assessment focused on the greater area of Athens, Greece. Thus, characterizations factors (CFs) for human health damage are calculated in 17 sites in Athens, in terms of the annual marginal change in the disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) due to a marginal increase in the ambient concentrations. It is found that the PM intake factors range between 1.25 × 10 and 2.78 × 10, suggesting that 1.25-2.78 μg of PM are inhaled by the Athenian population per kg of PM in the urban atmosphere. Mortality due to chronic exposure to PM has a dominant contribution to years of life lost with values ranging between 6.2 × 10 and 1.1 × 10. On the other hand, the mortality caused by short-term exposure to O is weaker with the CFs ranging between 1.58 × 10 years of life lost in the urban/traffic areas and 4.71 × 10 years in the suburbs. Finally, it is found that 9,000 DALYs are lost on average in Athens, corresponding to 0.0018 DALYs per person. This is equal to 0.135 DALYs per person over a lifetime of approximately 75 years, assuming constant emission rates for the whole period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The question to what extent primary and secondary air pollutants are relevant to atmospheric pollution and their effects on human health and the quality of the environment can be answered in a straight-forward manner: atmospheric processes, including oxidation procedures, particle formation and equilibria, determine the fate of primary emissions and, in most cases, the secondary products of these processes are the more important ones concerning their effects on human health and the quality of the environment. The formation of secondary products represents the critical property determining the establishment of certain air standards, rather than the actually emitted substance, although there are notable exceptions. In this paper, a review concerning transformation of primary pollutants as studied in the atmosphere of Athens is used to enlighten matters that may need further attention by the responsible authorities and stakeholders for the control and reduction of atmospheric pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past few years Greece has undergone several endeavors, aimed at modernizing and improving the national health care services. A Health Care Reform Act seeking quality improvement and coordination of outpatient and hospital services at the Regional level, through the enhancement of primary care, has been recently approved. This paper reports a proposal for integrated health system in the primary care system in Greece with a major focus on equity, quality, and outcomes. The equity and quality framework of this proposal will possess the main components focusing on the provision of essential services, and clinical and organizational standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past few years Greece has undergone several endeavors, aimed at modernizing and improving the national health care services. A Health Care Reform Act seeking quality improvement and coordination of outpatient and hospital services at the Regional level, through the enhancement of primary care, has been recently approved. This paper reports a proposal for integrated health system in the primary care system in Greece with a major focus on equity, quality, and outcomes. The equity and quality framework of this proposal will possess the main components focusing on the provision of essential services, clinical, and organizational standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reviews the measures implemented in Greece during the economic crisis, and assesses their degree of success in leading to the catharsis for the chronic problems of the country's health system. Topics discussed include the European health model, European Union health policy intervention, and impact of health care reforms on population health and quality of life.

Purpose: Problem gambling in adolescents has recently emerged as a pressing public health concern. In this context and in light of the pervasive financial crisis in Greece, the present study aimed to explore adolescents' gambling involvement in Athens region to estimate the prevalence of its problematic form and to identify its risk/protective factors.Methods: A total of 2141 students were recruited from a representative sample of 51 schools located in greater Athens area. The presence of problem gambling was assessed through the use of the DSM-IV-MR-J questionnaire. Data were collected in the form of a self-reported questionnaire during one school hour.Results: Results indicate that 1-year prevalence of high severity problem gambling was found to be 5.6%. Regarding the risk factors for problem gambling; male gender, parental engagement with gambling activities, living without the parents, low grades at school, foreign nationality and the referent absence of availability of food in the household, increased the risk of suffering from the disorder.Conclusion: Gambling behavior among adolescents constitutes a problem in Greece and highlights the need for designing and implementing appropriate preventive interventions, especially amid the ongoing financial crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the author discusses the other classic type of epidemiologic study. It mentions the epidemic of coronary disease, which is incidence is determined by the prevalence of causal factors and the ability to detect the disease. It also cites the study concerning the prevalence of coronary heart disease in Greece.

Background: Under-the-table informal payments are commonplace as reimbursements for health care services in Greece. As the country faces a severe financial crisis, the need to investigate the extent of such payments, their incidence and their impact on household income is pressing.Methods: A survey of 2,741 persons from across the country was conducted between December 2011 and February 2012. The sample was defined via a multistage selection process using a quota for municipality of residence, sex and age. The maximum error margin was 2.41% with a confidence interval of 95%.Results: The survey reports under-the-table payments for approximately 32.4% of public hospital admissions. Private clinics, which display the bulk of out-of-pocket payments, naturally display the lowest under-the-table payments. The highest percentage of under-the-table payments in the private sector appears at visits to private practitioners and dentists (36%). Informal payments are most frequently made upon request, prior to service provision, to facilitate access to care and to reduce waiting times, and at a much lower percentage, to post-service provision, and out of gratitude.Conclusions: This survey reveals that, due to severe financial pressure, there is a growing unwillingness of citizens to pay informally and an increasing demand for these payments as a prerequisite for access to services or to redeem services provided. This "hidden" financial burden of at least 27% impacts negatively on the living conditions of households and is not reported as purchasing ability or cost of living. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we present the first time findings regarding the occurrence of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in sewage waters and the first molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium species in Greece. Biological treatment plants from three regions in Greece have been investigated. The detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts was by modified Ziehl -Neelsen acid fast (MZN-AF) and by immunofluorescence microscopy (IFT) for Cryptosporidium and Giardia (oo)cysts, whereas nested PCR based on the SSU rDNA assay was used for molecular detection of Cryptosporidium followed by sequencing for the genetic characterization of the species. In total, 73 samples (37 raw sewage samples and 38 of treated water samples) were collected and analyzed. Of the 73 water samples, 4 samples were Cryptosporidium-positive by IFT and staining, 12 samples were Cryptosporidium-positive by nested PCR; 9 samples were Giardia-positive by IFT. We showed that Cryptosporidium cysts are found both in the input and the discharge of the biological treatment plants. Molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium based on the small subunit ribosomal DNA gene resulted in the determination of Cryptosporidium parvum and Cryptosporidium muris Greek isolates. This is the first report of Cryptosporidium and Giardia occurrence in wastewaters and the first molecular identification of Cryptosporidium species in Greek environments. As the treated water is used for irrigation, or it is discharged into the sea, our findings indicate that biological treatment facilities constitute a possible risk for public health because the related species are prevalent in humans; the results invite for further epidemiological investigations to evaluate the real public health risk in Greece. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented related to the impact of computed tomography (CT) scanners on the health system in Greece.