Introduction: The global financial crisis and the recession that follows it, burden particularly on citizens and the health system in countries that will suffer through the vicious circle that created by rising unemployment, loss of health insurance, reduction of income failure to respond to the charges for health care and the ability and ultimately ill health resulting in increased morbidity and mortality through the continuous intensification of poverty.
Aims: The emergence through a bibliographical review of the effects of the economic crisis in public health, the influence of health policy in economic and social situation of citizens and the mapping of health policy proposed for the current national and international level.
Literature review: The writing of this article took place through the review of Greek and international bibliography and the corresponding editorial, focusing mainly in the attention on the views of European and global health-related organizations.
Results: Documented the link between health policy and overall political and economic situation of a country and demonstrate the need for non-devaluation of health issues and their emergence as a prime priority that concerns the citizens in times of economic crisis.
Conclusions: In times of economic crisis, it should be cutting spending on health issues, as the passage leading to reduced availability of care and this in turn affects directly on incriminating both individuals and health systems.
Keywords: Financial crisis and health, health policy in economic crisis, health systems.