Health and human capital in the perspective of the ESF in Poland

Purpose: Human capital is one of the most important areas of intervention of the European Union's structural funds, with particular emphasis on the European Social Fund. And although the ESF instruments, as well as numerous interpretations of human capital, are dominated by issues related to knowledge, competence and professional suitability of a person, health is also there. As it turns out, however, issues related to health and their relationship with human capital are still a relatively unexplored issue. This is also reflected in the programming of the EU's structural policy in the area of human capital. The aim of the article is to assess and summarize nearly twenty years of Polish experience in the use of ESF funds for improving health, as an element affecting the quality and competitiveness of human capital. Design/methodology/approach: The article presents an analysis of the literature relating to the place and importance of health for human capital and support for this area within the framework of the structural and cohesion policy of the EU, implemented by the Structural Funds, with particular emphasis on the European Social Fund. In addition, the provisions of the basic strategic documents containing the assumptions for the implementation of the cohesion policy in Poland in subsequent EU budget periods in the years 2004-2020 were analyzed. Findings: The assessment of health support in the context of human capital, presented in the article, concerns three successive, fully completed, EU budget periods, namely 2004-2006, 2007-2013 and 2014-2020. In subsequent budget periods, the basic problem areas in this area were defined and, as part of operational programmes, adequate measures in the field of health of Poles were proposed. In general, the issue of health in the perspective of the Structural Funds referred to the infrastructural approach, which is the domain of the ERDF. However, in the analysed period, a certain evolution can be seen from an infrastructural (also systemic) approach, which is the domain of the ERDF, to a more "soft" approach in the areas of ESF intervention. Originality/value: The article contains one of the first studies on the link between health and human capital, which are the area of ESF support in Poland in the years 2004-2020.