7 days in healthcare (February 16th-22nd, 2026)

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Summary

The week’s most impactful health news stories were:

  • Biomedicine: The Human Exposome Project will map how environmental factors influence our health.
  • Global Health: Leaving the WHO does not serve the best global or American interests.
  • International Health Policy: The days of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s “wild” hegemony in health may be coming to an end.
  • National Health Policy: The doctors’ strike corners Minister García and puts thousands of appointments at risk.
  • Companies: BioNTech creates an mRNA vaccine to treat the most dangerous form of breast cancer.

Biomedicine

  • The Human Exposome Project will map how environmental factors influence our health. Several studies suggest that the cause of diseases is 20% genetic and 80% related to environmental factors.
  • Can shingles vaccines slow aging? The evidence is surprisingly strong. New data suggests it reduces the risk of dementia by 20%.
  • Cats offer clues for better cancer treatments. Similarities between tumors in cats and humans provide certain insights into treating diseases.

Global Health

  • Leaving the WHO does not contribute to the best global or American interests. The US seems to trust bilateral agreements more than global ones. Along these lines, it published the Global Health Strategy, which includes agreements with 15 countries, surprisingly without mentioning vaccines. Agreements with another 50 countries are planned. It also calls for a focus on certain infectious diseases—such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and polio—but not on maternal and child health, reproductive health, certain tropical diseases, non-communicable diseases, and other important health conditions.
  • The problems in the Cuban health system are deepening. The Cuban Minister of Health, José Ángel Portal Miranda, has acknowledged the poor situation. He has blamed the crisis on the American embargo, in line with the official position.
  • Health on the Front Lines: Four Years After the Start of the War in Ukraine. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has been a catastrophe on all levels, including health. In four years, there have been more than 47,000 Ukrainian civilian casualties, 5-6 million people have emigrated, and 3-8 million have been internally displaced, disrupting their healthcare. The deliberate attack on healthcare facilities has been a substantial part of the Russian strategy.

International Health Policy

  • Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s days of “wild” hegemony in health may be ending. After letting him act freely until now, it seems the White House is beginning to worry about some of his initiatives.
  • Primary Care Deserts: Data Shows a Shortage of Primary Care Physicians in the UK. Four-fifths of integrated councils in England need to at least double their number of primary care physicians to reach staffing standards considered adequate, according to the British Medical Journal.
  • The British pharmacy sector sees Morrison’s sales as another warning sign for the NHS. The British giant is divesting itself of dozens of its community pharmacies to reduce costs; this situation highlights “the real economic danger facing pharmaceutical companies,” according to Community Pharmacy England.
  • The fragility of the healthcare system in Venezuela. Healthcare spending was 1.7% of GDP in 2018, well below the Latin American average of 4%. All indicators are very negative, even by regional standards.

National Health Policy (Spain)

  • The doctors’ strike corners Minister García and puts thousands of appointments at risk. The Platform of the Patients’ Organization (POP) estimates that cancellations could exceed 450,000. The Ministry maintains its intransigent position.
  • Mónica García fails to convince Junts in her first parliamentary blitz on the Public Management Law. Although the Minister of Health assures that the new law “does not harm the Catalan model,” the separatists respond that “neither you nor any minister has the right to say anything about how Catalonia is organized.” This law aims to make any public-private partnership mechanism virtually impossible, in addition to interfering in management aspects transferred to the autonomous communities. Although the chances of the law being approved are minimal, this does not diminish the extremely serious nature of the text’s content.
  • The Bioregion of Catalonia consolidates its leadership in the pharmaceutical industry. It concentrates 79 pharmaceutical production plants, 44% of the national total, and represents nearly 50% of the sector’s revenue, according to the Biocat 2025 Report, which analyzes the industrial, scientific, and regulatory weight of the Catalan ecosystem.

Companies

  • International
    • BioNTech creates an mRNA vaccine to treat the most aggressive form of breast cancer. The first clinical trial demonstrates that the vaccine creates a long-lasting immune response tailored to each patient’s tumor.
  • National
    • Ribera completes the acquisition of the Valencian group HCB Hospitales for €100 million. With a team of more than 650 professionals, it has two hospitals in Benidorm and Denia, three medical centers in Calpe, Moraira, and Albir, and two centers in Benidorm and Denia, as well as two diagnostic imaging centers in Alicante.

Biomedicine

  • Can shingles vaccines slow aging? The evidence is surprisingly strong. New data suggests it reduces the risk of dementia by 20% (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/02/13/can-the-shingles-vaccine-slow-ageing)
  • The Human Exposome Project will map how environmental factors influence our health. Several studies suggest that the cause of diseases is 20% genetic and 80% related to environmental factors (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/02/18/the-human-exposome-project-will-map-how-environmental-factors-shape-health)
  • Scientists say air pollution is linked to the risk of Alzheimer’s. Particles from fossil fuel combustion may damage the brain more than previously thought (https://www.ft.com/content/35c5904e-c1bc-452c-9f38-29b6b1b77066). Access the original article: https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1004912
  • Cats hold clues to better cancer treatments. Similarities between tumors in cats and humans offer some clues for treating diseases (https://www.ft.com/content/807ac68a-d96a-4da0-bdfc-5970c3c5a836)
  • Psychedelics found in Amazonian ayahuasca hold promise for treating depression. Single doses were able to eliminate the symptoms (https://www.ft.com/content/492f3a15-6c5d-4e26-8e1e-a24902d0bed3)
  • Tetris-based therapy shows promise in post-traumatic stress (https://www.ft.com/content/e185a5ed-833e-416d-9a10-e0178754dde0)
  • EDEN: The AI ​​system that learns from a million species to design new treatments. The model allows for the precise and complex modification of cells and molecules to cure diseases (https://elpais.com/ciencia/2026-02-18/eden-el-sistema-de-ia-que-aprende-de-un-millon-de-especies-para-disenar-nuevos-tratamientos.html)
  • Revolution in the treatment of multiple sclerosis: AI discovers new subtypes of this disease. British researchers have combined imaging tests and blood markers to describe two distinct patterns.
  • (https://www.elespanol.com/ciencia/salud/20260218/revolucion-tratamiento-esclerosis-multiple-ia-descubre-nuevos-subtipos-enfermedad/1003744132864_0.html)
  • Photonic technology to diagnose Alzheimer’s in Spain through the eyes. These diagnoses can be made quickly by observing the lens and retina using two different techniques (https://www.elespanol.com/ciencia/salud/20260217/tecnologia-fotonica-diagnosticar-alzheimer-espana-traves-ojos-puede-detectar-anos/1003744132793_0.html)

Global Health

  • Problems in the Cuban health system are deepening. Cuban Health Minister José Ángel Portal Miranda has acknowledged the dire situation. He has blamed the crisis on the American embargo, in line with the official position (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00356-9/fulltext)
  • Health on the front lines: four years after the start of the war in Ukraine. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has been a catastrophe on all levels, including health. In four years, there have been more than 47,000 Ukrainian civilian casualties, 5-6 million people have emigrated, and 3-8 million have been internally displaced, disrupting their access to healthcare. The deliberate attack on healthcare facilities has been a substantial part of the Russian strategy (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00355-7/fulltext).
  • Leaving the WHO does not serve the best global or American interests. The US seems to rely more on bilateral agreements than on global ones. Along these lines, it published the Global Health Strategy, which includes agreements with 15 countries, surprisingly without mentioning vaccines. Agreements with another 50 countries are planned. It also calls for a focus on certain infectious diseases—such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and polio—but not on maternal and child health, reproductive health, certain tropical diseases, non-communicable diseases, and other major health conditions (https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aeg1937). Access the Global Health Strategy, September 2025: https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/America-First-Global-Health-Strategy-Report.pdf

International Health Policy

  • USA
    • Trump’s rejection of the fight against climate change is “a rejection of the laws of physics.” Scientists have condemned this initiative, labeling it a rejection of scientific logic (https://www.bmj.com/content/392/bmj.s324)
    • The FDA’s change of course on Moderna’s flu vaccine after pressure from the White House. This follows an interview between the FDA Commissioner and President Trump, who expressed his displeasure with the measure, according to Politico (https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/18/fda-reverses-course-on-moderna-flu-shot-bid-00785799)
    • The days of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s “wild” hegemony in health may be coming to an end. After letting him act freely until now, it seems the White House is starting to worry about some of his initiatives (https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/21/rfk-midterms-maha-pesticides-vaccines-food-00792018)
    • Should over-the-counter medications be advertised to the public? Controversy begins over direct drug advertising, amid an offensive by certain brands regarding aging (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/16/health/drug-advertisements-consumers.html)
    • Measles makes a strong comeback in the United States, raising alarms. A total of 24 states are now affected by this disease, including Florida, Arizona, Washington, and South Carolina (https://www.vozpopuli.com/sanitatem/el-sarampion-vuelve-con-fuerza-a-estados-unidos.html)
  • China
    • Pharmaceutical consumption has grown more in China than in the USA in the last five years. A new report from IQVIA indicates that by the end of the decade, drug consumption will approach four trillion defined daily doses (DDDs). Growth is pronounced in China and modest in the United States. (https://diariofarma.com/2026/02/18/el-consumo-farmaceutico-crecio-mas-en-china-que-en-eeuu-en-los-ultimos-5-anos)
  • United Kingdom
    • Deserts in Primary Care: Data shows a shortage of primary care physicians in the United Kingdom. Four-fifths of integrated councils in England need to at least double their number of primary care physicians to reach staffing standards considered adequate, according to the British Medical Journal (https://www.bmj.com/content/392/bmj.s301)
    • English pharmacies see Morrison’s sales as another warning sign for the NHS. The British giant is divesting itself of dozens of its community pharmacies to reduce costs; this situation highlights “the real economic danger facing pharmaceutical companies,” according to Community Pharmacy England (https://diariofarma.com/2026/02/16/la-farmacia-inglesa-ve-en-la-venta-de-farmacias-morrison-otra-senal-de-alerta-grave-para-el-nhs)
  • France
    • The end-of-life debate returns to the National Assembly. The two texts on palliative care and assisted dying are being debated in the Assembly (https://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2026/02/16/fin-de-vie-le-debat-revient-a-l-assemblee-nationale-en-deuxieme-lecture_6666940_823448.html)
    • AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis: France reduces its contribution to the Global Fund by almost 60%. This decrease in aid is disappointing for the association, as these three diseases cause 2.5 million deaths worldwide each year (https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2026/02/20/sida-paludisme-tuberculose-la-france-abaisse-de-pres-de-60-sa-contribution-au-fonds-mondial_6667596_3244.html)
    • The national health data platform is a strategic asset for France. This country possesses one of the world’s richest health data assets, but struggles to mobilize it for research, public health, and innovation, prior to the creation of the Health Data Hub in 2019 (https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2026/02/16/la-plateforme-nationale-des-donnees-de-sante-est-un-actif-strategique-pour-la-france_6666976_3232.html)
  • Venezuela
    • The fragility of the health system in Venezuela. Health spending was 1.7% of GDP in 2018, well below the Latin American average of 4%. All indicators are very negative, even by regional standards (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00203-5/fulltext)
  • India
    • India’s pollution is an economic roadblock. Government inaction is a problem for its own development goals (https://www.economist.com/asia/2026/02/15/indias-pollution-is-becoming-an-economic-roadblock)

National Health Policy

  • Central Government Initiatives
    • The government postpones the selection of the headquarters for the State Public Health Agency until August. The government indicates this is due to the number of applications submitted and the construction work that would be required. This is not credible; rather, the reason is the delicate political situation with many elections, and that it is better to proceed in August (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260217/gobierno-retrasa-agosto-eleccion-sede-agencia-salud-publica-obras-requieren-aspirantes/1003744133939_0.html)
    • The Public Health Agency will operate immediately, even without a headquarters. While the agency could operate from within the Ministry of Health (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/secciones/sanidad-hoy/la-agencia-de-salud-publica-operara-de-forma-inmediata-incluso-sin-sede-7235)
  • Regional Administrations
    • Basque Health Cluster and GSK seal a strategic alliance to boost healthcare innovation in Spain. The biopharmaceutical company joins as a Business Partner of the Basque cluster with the aim of strengthening open collaboration and accelerating the transformation of the healthcare ecosystem (https://www.consalud.es/salud35/nacional/basque-health-cluster-y-gsk-sellan-una-alianza-estrategica-para-impulsar-la-innovacion-sanitaria-en-euskadi.html)
    • Galicia secures its leadership in oncology: 23 million invested in CAR-T and the milestone of proton therapy. The Minister of Health, Antonio Gómez Caamaño, announces that the region will be the first to implement public proton therapy and will create a pioneering population-based genomic map (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/galicia/galicia-blinda-liderazgo-oncologico-car-t-protonterapia-farmacos-propios.html)
    • The Bioregion of Catalonia consolidates its leadership in the pharmaceutical industry. It concentrates 79 pharmaceutical production plants, 44% of the national total, and represents nearly 50% of the sector’s revenue, according to the Biocat 2025 Report, which analyzes the industrial, scientific, and regulatory weight of the Catalan ecosystem (https://diariofarma.com/2026/02/19/la-bioregion-de-cataluna-consolida-su-liderazgo-en-la-industria-farmaceutica-en-espana)
    • Collaborative dispensing avoids 78,000 trips annually in Andalusia. The model for delivering hospital medication through community pharmacies increases the efficiency of the system and improves health outcomes (https://diariofarma.com/2026/02/18/la-dispensacion-colaborativa-evita-78-000-desplazamientos-anuales-en-andalucia)
    • The Galician government (Xunta) declares 29 special pharmaceutical zones to facilitate the viability of rural pharmacies. A total of 18 of the pharmacies are located in the province of Ourense and 11 in Lugo (https://diariofarma.com/2026/02/18/la-xunta-declara-las-29-zonas-farmaceuticas-especiales-para-facilitar-la-viabilidad-de-boticas-rurales)
  • Problems with the Framework Statute
    • The doctors’ strike corners Minister García and puts thousands of appointments at risk. The Platform of the Patient Organization (POP) estimates that cancellations could exceed 450,000 (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2026/02/17/69934820fc6c8381138b45b2.html)
    • Doctors are making progress with the PP, Vox, and ERC to block the Framework Statute while their strike paralyzes healthcare. The group has secured a meeting with these three parliamentary groups with the aim of halting the legislation in Parliament (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260219/medicos-avanzan-pp-vox-erc-frenar-estatuto-marco-huelga-paraliza-sanidad/1003744135944_0.html)
  • Measles
    • The WHO has issued a warning to Spain regarding its handling of the measles outbreak. Our country, along with five other European nations, has lost its status as a measles-free country. The recent outbreak in Alicante and the circulation of cases detected in Madrid this week do not suggest that the situation will reverse in the short term (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2026/02/22/69975206e9cf4a6a0a8b456e.html)
  • Public Management Law
    • Mónica García fails to convince Junts in her first parliamentary debate on the Public Management Law. Although the Minister of Health assures that the new law “does not harm the Catalan model,” the separatists respond that “neither you nor any minister has any say in how Catalonia is organized” (https://diariofarma.com/2026/02/18/monica-garcia-no-convence-a-junts-en-el-primer-lance-parlamentario-sobre-la-ley-de-gestion-publica)

Companies

  • International
    • BioNTech creates an RNA vaccine to treat the most aggressive form of breast cancer. The first clinical trial demonstrates that the vaccine creates a long-lasting immune response tailored to each patient’s tumor (https://www.lavanguardia.com/ciencia/20260218/11468768/biontech-crea-vacuna-arn-tratar-cancer-mama-peor-pronostico.html)
    • Smartwatches still don’t accurately measure blood pressure. Current evidence suggests caution. A recent article analyzed whether these devices can truly replace clinically validated blood pressure monitors. The conclusion is clear: not yet (https://www.abc.es/salud/enfermedades/relojes-inteligentes-miden-bien-tension-arterial-20260218163713-nt.html)
    • Vaccines could enter a downward financial spiral. The reluctance of citizens and the US government is ultimately affecting corporate investment (https://cincodias.elpais.com/opinion/2026-02-20/las-vacunas-pueden-entrar-en-una-espiral-financiera-descendente.html)
  • National
    • Cofares breaks its sales record again with a 7.4% increase, reaching €4.58 billion. The pharmaceutical cooperative once again leads the wholesale market, with a 30% share (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260218/cofares-vuelve-batir-record-facturacion-ventas-toca-millones-euros/1003744135496_0.html)
    • Lilly chooses Spain to manufacture its obesity pills. Alcobendas will host the final phase of orforglipron production. Thanks to an investment of over €300 million initiated in 2023 (https://es.linkedin.com/posts/el-mundo_lilly-apuesta-por-espa%C3%B1a-para-fabricar-las-activity-7429101551958437888-s7vU)
    • Ribera closes the purchase of the Valencian group HCB Hospitales for €100 million. With a team of over 650 professionals, it has two hospitals in Benidorm and Denia, three medical centers in Calpe, Moraira and Albir, and two centers in Benidorm and Denia, and two diagnostic imaging centers in Alicante. (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260218/ribera-cierra-compra-grupo-valenciano-hcb-hospitales-millones/1003744135296_0.html)
    • ISDIN’s revenue is €648 million and its profit is 14% lower (https://www.expansion.com/catalunya/2026/02/18/69961283468aeb85408b45a2.html)