The World Health Organisation’s regional director for Europe, Zsuzsanna Jakab, praised Malta’s healthcare system at the ongoing session of the WHO Regional Committee Europe (WHO/Europe).

Among other things, Ms Jakab noted how Malta was a “role model” for European countries, as far as universal coverage and investment in public health are concerned. She has also praised the country for adopting a substantial number of strategies and policies on health during the past few years.

Undeniably, there are many issues that still need to be addressed in Malta’s healthcare system, including the oft-discussed waiting lists.

But there is also a lot to be happy about, including the quality – and quantity – of free healthcare available, which helps ensure that even the most vulnerable can afford treatment, and that serious illnesses in the family do not necessarily spell financial ruin.

However, health is not simply about the state and affordability of hospitals, the number and performance of medical professionals, and the quality of the equipment available. And while Ms Jakab’s praise is not unjustified, there are other, serious, issues which we must face, and our unhealthy lifestyle is definitely one of them.

A series of papers published in medical journal The Lancet this summer suggested that the Maltese may be the laziest people on earth, earning that dubious honour by being least prone to engage in regular exercise. Over 70% of us fail to engage in sufficient amounts of physical activity of moderate or vigorous intensity, compared to just over 30% worldwide.

Somewhat unsurprisingly given the above findings, recent statistics also show that the Maltese and the English top the EU’s obesity charts. Figures on child obesity are even more worrying: A 2010 report showed that the proportion of Maltese children aged 11-15 who are either overweight or obese is significantly higher than anywhere else in Europe.

Describing our sedentary lifestyle as unhealthy may be an understatement: It is also causing many preventable deaths. The Lancet reports also showed that nearly a fifth of premature deaths in Malta are attributable to physical activity, ranking Malta top among the countries featured in the study.

The government may need to step up its existing efforts to help promote healthy lifestyles, an issue which Ms Jakab herself hinted at. In an interview with our sister newspaper, she pointed out that Malta’s expenditure on prevention and public health is considerably lower than the European average, despite its considerable health expenditure.

Increasing this expenditure may seem counterintuitive at a time when the sustainability of healthcare systems is increasingly called into question, but proper investment may pay for itself: Ms Jakab had noted that results would even be apparent in the short and medium term.

Of course, upgrading our public health structures will take some time – one cannot simply just throw money at the situation – but it may have to be considered a priority.

In the meantime, of course, we can all do our part, for our own sake.

The vast majority of us can afford to spare the time to devote just 15-30 minutes a day to physical activity – such as a brisk walk – which could lead to substantial health benefits.

As the patron of WHO/Europe, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, said in her opening remarks yesterday, health is our most precious possession. The time is ripe to treat it as such.