28/09/2010 - Governments want to give their citizens the best possible healthcare but they also need to 
control public spending. When health ministers from OECD countries meet in Paris next week, they will 
discuss how to meet urgent short-term fiscal concerns without sacrificing the long-term quality and availability 
of health care. 

They will focus in particular on preventing disease and disability. Though investing in prevention is vital for the
 long-run viability of health systems, it is often the first thing to be cut when resources are scarce.

A closing news conference will be held at 12.30-13.15 on Friday 8 October at OECD headquarters. 
Health ministers from Norway, Australia and Poland – Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen, Nicola Roxon, and Adam 
Fronczak – with OECD Deputy Secretary-General Aart de Geus, will outline the ministers’ responses to the 
budget/health dilemma. 

On the morning of 7 October, media are also invited to attend a Forum - ‘Quality of Care: how to measure it 
and how to improve it’ along with ministers, health care professionals, hospital organizations, labour and 
business leaders and academics.
 
The OECD will launch two major new reports during the meeting:
Improving Value for Money in Health Care: reviews recent trends in health spending; assesses options for 
saving money in the short-run, and identifies the most promising ways to create health systems fit to meet 
21st century health problems
 
Improving Value in Health Care: Measuring Quality:Poor quality healthcare, even in wealthy countries, kills
 thousands of people.  This report gives new evidence on patient safety across countries, citing large 
variations in the quality of care for cancer, stroke, heart attacks, and the services provided by family doctors. 

Obesity and the Economics of Prevention: Fit not Fat was launched on 23rd September and will be a major
 theme of the discussion by Ministers.

 
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