Health Security, Quality of Life and Democracy during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Comparative Approach in the EU-27 Countries

Conțiu Tiberiu Șoitu, Silviu-Petru Grecu () and Romeo Asiminei
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Conțiu Tiberiu Șoitu: Department of Sociology and Social Work, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iași, 700506 Iași, Romania
Silviu-Petru Grecu: Department of Political Sciences, International Relations and European Studies, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iași, 700506 Iași, Romania
Romeo Asiminei: Department of Sociology and Social Work, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iași, 700506 Iași, Romania

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 21, 1-26

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to emphasize the role played by the social, economic and political variables in shaping models of sustainable healthcare systems and strategies able to support and improve the quality of life during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The context of our research is represented by the medical and socioeconomic crises generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The current pandemic negatively affects healthcare systems, quality of life and the global economy. In this respect, this paper aims to thoroughly scrutinize the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the social and healthcare systems of EU countries, to analyze the impact of human development in the field of the Global Health Security Index and to estimate the relation between resilience and quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research design is quantitative, resorting to the use of both descriptive and inferential statistics, against the background of a long-term comparative approach to the respective situations in the EU-27 countries. Empirical findings are relevant for emphasizing the fact that human development and social progress are predictors for the dynamics of health security measures. Moreover, the quality of the political regime, particularly in the case of full and flawed democracies, is strongly related to a high level of resilience and could influence the perception of quality of life. All of these empirical results could prove valuable for scholars interested in understanding the relationships between democracy, healthcare systems and quality of life, and for political decision makers involved in the effort of reducing the negative effects of COVID-19 in EU-27 countries.

Keywords: healthcare systems; COVID-19 pandemic; resilience; life satisfaction; democracy; human development; Global Health Security Index (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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