Read more: 鈥�Greece in crisis: Saving a nation鈥�
THE human cost of Greece鈥檚 predicament is becoming clear. As the world waits to see if its fractious leaders can secure the country鈥檚 future, its citizens are finding it difficult to secure basic healthcare (see 鈥�Greek crisis: How to prevent a humanitarian disaster鈥�).
Economists and politicians fear that if Greece makes an ignominious exit from the eurozone 鈥� the 鈥淕rexit鈥� scenario 鈥� there will be disastrous economic consequences for Europe. But the looming humanitarian crisis has widespread implications too.
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Diseases common in Greece鈥檚 southern neighbours, but unfamiliar in Europe, are starting to appear. Malaria, among others, has broken out recently. If the country鈥檚 disease surveillance and control operations are compromised, these ailments may gain a stronghold there and could spread further afield.
What鈥檚 more, the combination of economic collapse, political instability and a struggle to meet basic human needs provides the conditions for widespread civil unrest. Those who think that far-fetched should recall that modern Greece has only been truly democratic since 1974 鈥� the same year, as it happens, that it originally eradicated malaria.
The recent experiences of Argentina, Sweden and Japan highlight the challenges to public health faced when an advanced economy goes into meltdown, along with some understanding of which remedies might be worth adopting. The European Union stands ready to commit vast resources to ensure the region鈥檚 financial well-being; it should commit itself to securing its physical and mental health too.
The next challenge will be to repair or replace the eurozone, whatever becomes of Greece. Here there is less evidence to go on, and conventional economics is proving to be of little use. The risk is that the euro鈥檚 next incarnation will prove just as flawed.
Network theory may provide some rigour. Seen through the lens of complexity science, the real problem is not any individual country鈥檚 debt, but the structure of the eurozone (see 鈥�Greek crisis: Losing Greece won鈥檛 save euro network鈥�).
聯Complexity science shows the real problem is not Greece鈥檚 debt, but the structure of the eurozone聰
If the theorists are right, the eurozone was built on quicksand from the start. When the time comes to rebuild, Europe should make sure it is laying down foundations of stone.