7 days in healthcare (30th May-5th June, 2022)

 

Summary

From the point of view of biomedicine, to highlight the Science article, showing that the brain and the immune system are interconnected. Monkeypox is transmitted by direct contact, therefore “ring vaccination” is indicated, only to contacts of an infected person.

As far as Global Health is concerned, the universal coverage approach in Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, should be highlighted. It is seen that universal coverage is no longer just something of Europe or the industrialized countries.

As for international health policy, the frequent shootings in American schools are covered by medical journals (The Lancet, British Medical Journal), as it is also a health problem. Something perfectly avoidable.

If we talk about national health policy (Spain), it should be mentioned that private health offers to collaborate with public health in addressing the problem of waiting lists.

In the field of companies, Takeda’s statements are surprising, saying that pharmaceutical companies will be able to lower prices in the face of a global crisis. The acquisition of the HIPRA vaccine by Brussels is advancing.

Biomedicine

Global health

International health policy

  • Monkeypox

o 21 Americans affected by monkeypox, according to the CDC (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/03/health/monkeypox-vaccine-treatments.html)

o New York Times editorial: To fight monkeypox we have to learn the lessons of covid and HIV (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/29/opinion/monkeypox-covid-and- hiv.html)

o Concern in Europe that massive summer parties spread monkeypox (https://www.lavanguardia.com/vida/20220605/8317253/pretrabajo-fiestas-masivas-verano-extend-viruela-mono.html)

  • COVID-19

o Covid cases on the rise in the Americas: North and Central America) (https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o1355)

o Does the world need new covid vaccines? (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2204695)

o Doubts about whether the arrival BA.4 and BA.5 of the omicron will mean a new wave of covid in France (https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2022/06/04/covid-19 -l-arrivee-de-ba-4-et-ba-5-en-france-va-t-elle-entrainer-une-nouvelle-vague-de-contaminations_6128892_3244.html)

o The subvariant of the BA.5 omicron is a cause of concern in Portugal (https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2022/06/04/au-portugal-le-sous-variant-ba-5-d-omicron -restless_6128944_3244.html)

o The zero-covid policy in China is unfeasible in the long run, the only question is when it will abandon it to “live with covid”. Article in Science magazine (https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.add1891)

  • Other themes

o The frequent shootings in American schools, also as a health problem, treated in medical journals. The Lancet: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)01006-6/fulltext; British Medical Journal: https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o1378

o The black market of antivirals for covid (https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o1282)

o Shortage of doctors in Italy (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)01009-1/fulltext)

o Medical abortion and telemedicine in a post-Roe v Wade phase (https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o1393)

o The Center for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) in the USA plans to advance Value Based Healthcare (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2792275)

National health policy

  • Monkeypox

o Spain reaches 132 positives for monkeypox (https://www.consalud.es/pacientes/infecciosas/viruela-mono-espana-casos_115507_102.html)

  • COVID

o The incidence of covid in people over 60 years of age falls 45 points again (https://www.abc.es/sociedad/abci-incidencia-covid-mayores-60-anos-volve-caer-45-puntos-202206031649_noticia .html)

  • Regulatory announcements

o The Order to allocate 217 places to non-EU citizens was published in the Official Bulletin (BOE) (https://www.consalud.es/especial-mir/boe-orden-adjudicar-217-plazas-mir-vacantes-extracomunitarios_115651_102.html)

  • Other themes

o Private healthcare offers to reduce surgical waiting lists by 30%, according to ASPE (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud/noticias/11799678/06/22/La-sanidad-privada- offered-to-reduce-the-surgical-waiting-list-by-30.html)

o Aragon extends dental care up to 14 years of age (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/aragon/aragon-amplia-hasta-14-anos-programa-atencion-salud-bucodental_115455_102.html)

Companies

  • International News

o GSK is going to buy the Affinivax biotech group for 3.0 billion dollars (https://www.ft.com/content/3a5e33ea-1af6-4554-bf50-225441fe4c24)

o BMS about to acquire drugmaker Turning Point for $4.1 billion (https://www.ft.com/content/9c5b319c-20c3-4558-826f-260d0698975b)

o Takeda says that pharmaceutical companies could lower prices in the face of a global crisis (https://www.ft.com/content/492beff8-a077-421e-8da9-faf378e15175)

o The company that manufactures the monkeypox vaccine has the capacity to produce 30 million doses (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20220531/empresa-fabrica-vacuna-viruela-capacity-produce -millions/676432695_0.html)

  • National News

o Brussels finalizes the acquisition of the HIPRA vaccine for covid (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud/noticias/11791545/05/22/Bruselas-ultima-la-adquisicion-de-la-vacuna-espanola-de -Hipra-for-the-Covid.html)

o HM acquires the Los Nogales Pontones center to build a new hospital (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/hm-hospitales-acquire-el-centro-los-nogales-pontones-para-levantar-un-nuevo- hospital.html)

o Vithas recovers from the covid downturn and grows 19% in 2021 (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/vithas-se-recupera-del-bache-del-covid-19-y-crece-un -Jan-19-2021.html)

o Grupo HLA targets 500 million revenues in 2022 (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/grupo-hla-apunta-a-500-millones-de-euros-en-ingresos-en-2022.html)

o The contracting of medical insurance skyrockets in Cantabria and Catalonia in 2021. At the national level, 24% of the population has private medical insurance, although low cost ones are included (only consultations and tests) (https://www. .elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20220605/contratacion-seguros-medicos-dispara-cantabria-cataluna/677432488_0.html)

o The laboratories devastate the funds in their bid for Lacer (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/2022/05/30/6293eb1ee5fdea29048b45f4.html)

o Vithas has an agenda to achieve the 2030 goals (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/secciones/privada/vithas-se-fija-2025-para-alcanzar-el-80-de-los-objetivos-de-la -phonebook-2030-9828)

o DKV presents the 2021 corporate report and the Imagina 2025 Strategic Plan (https://dkv.es/corporativo/sala-prensa/noticias/informe-anual-2021)

This post is also available in: Spanish