7 days in healthcare (June 27th-July 3rd, 2022)

Summary

From the point of view of biomedicine, surprising finding that the flu vaccine helps prevent Alzheimer’s.

As far as Global Health is concerned, the ravages of the war in Ukraine are noted. Most of the morbidity and mortality is not caused by direct military action, but by problems of assistance and malnutrition. Interesting article in The Lancet about the need to put an end to a global problem: the marriage of girls under 18 years of age, which is also the cause of many health problems.

Regarding international health policy, it should be noted that the WHO is concerned about the possible spread of monkeypox among children and pregnant women. Regarding covid, a study among the G10 countries (Spain is not included) demonstrates the outstanding performance of Canada in its fight against covid, second only to Japan. Almost unanimity among the scientific and opinion press on the negative consequences of the annulment of the Roe v Wade ruling, leaving the legalization of abortion in the hands of the American States. It is insisted that previous experience shows that the ban does not change the number of abortions, but rather their safety. Condemns also from the American Medical Association (the American medical colleges) and the Association of American Medical Colleges (which represents the academic medical world in the USA). More online health care is expected as a result of the digitalisation plan of the British NHS.

If we talk about national health policy (Spain), given the increase in the incidence of covid and the increase in cases of hospitalization and deaths, Minister Darias recommends the use of masks indoors. Doubts about the credibility of this recommendation, after months minimizing the impact of covid and talking about “flu”. It was approved the so-called “Trans law”, which has consequences on the SNS. Significant opposition in Catalonia (both from the government and from associative entities, such as the UCH) to the Equity Law project approved by the government.

In the field of companies, regardless of their utility or not, great growth in the activity of vendors of “traditional medicine”, which in China have the support of the government. Spanish health technology companies request a plan, given the supply crisis and the increase in costs.

Biomedicine

• A study suggests that the flu vaccine reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s by 40%. For four years, inoculated people and others who had not received the injection were evaluated (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2022/06/27/62b9f5fafdddffcd478b45f6.html)
• Stool banks for cases of fecal transplants, to recover the microbial ecosystem of the intestine (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/06/29/people-bank-blood-why-not- face)

Global health

• Russia’s war in Ukraine: the devastation of human rights and health, now that the war enters a phase of attrition (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2207415)
• The Lancet article: the need to end the marriage of girls before the age of 18, the source of many health problems. A global problem as 12 million of these marriages occur each year (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)01241-7/fulltext?rss=yes)
• The World Bank approves a new fund for future pandemics (https://www.consalud.es/profesionales/banco-mundial-nuevo-fondo-preparacion-pandemias_117310_102.html)

International health policy

• Monkeypox
  • What is behind the WHO’s decision not to declare monkeypox an international public health emergency. The decision is made taking into account that the epidemiological situation may not worsen in the coming weeks (https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o1604)
  • They wonder if there will be enough monkeypox vaccines (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/01/health/monkeypox-vaccine-bavarian-nordic.html)
  • The WHO, concerned that monkeypox will spread to groups such as children and pregnant women (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2022/07/01/62beaaa3fdddffea678b45be.html)

• COVID-19
  • Canada stood out in the results of policies against COVID, after a study in 11 G10 countries. Canada performed better than Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the US. Only Japan fared better with lower deaths and infections (https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o1615)
  • An FDA panel recommends redesigning the covid vaccine against new omicron variants (https://www.ft.com/content/6db8d9ec-b864-4d7c-8f02-f158ac181241)
  • New variants of omicron responsible for 34% of cases in England (https://www.ft.com/content/f765fd55-3a2c-4dd6-b863-61854c9a7e67)
  • The new wave of covid causes a series of cancellations at festivals and shows in France (https://www.lemonde.fr/culture/article/2022/07/01/la-nouvelle-vague-de-covid-19 -provoque-une-serie-d-annulations-dans-les-festivals-et-les-spectacles_6133004_3246.html)

• Controversial ruling in the USA: annulment Roe v Wade
  • All the scientific and opinion press strongly criticizes the annulment of Roe v Wade by the Supreme Court of the United States. It is insisted that experience shows that prohibition does not reduce abortions, but rather makes them more unsafe. Condemns also from the American Medical Association (the American medical colleges) and the Association of American Medical Colleges (which represents the academic medical world in the USA). Nature:https://media.nature.com/original/magazine-assets/d41586-022-01760-6/d41586-022-01760-6.pdf; The Lancet: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)01236-3/fulltext; British Medical Journal: https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o1600; The Economist: https://www.economist.com/international/2022/06/30/around-the-world-bans-do-not-make-abortion-much-rarer)
  • Biden’s health secretary says there are no shortcuts (“magic bullet”) to preserve access to abortion in the US (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/28/us/politics/biden-abortion -roe.html)

• Other themes
  • Life expectancy by county, race, and ethnicity in the United States. A study of inequalities (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00876-5/fulltext)
  • More healthcare will be online in the UK, with the new NHS digitization plan (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jun/29/more-healthcare-online-england-nhs-digitisation -plan)
  • Health systems must obtain a fair return on their data, through innovative collaboration formulas with the industry (https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj-2022-070876)

National health policy

• Monkeypox
  • The Ministry of Health reports 1,200 cases of monkeypox, 400 more than three days ago (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/medicina-preventiva/sanidad-notifica-1200-casos-de-viruela-del- monkey-400-more-than-3-days-ago.html)
  • Spain receives 5,300 doses of monkeypox (https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/2022-06-28/espana-recibe-las-primeras-5-300-dosis-de-la-vacuna-jynneos- against-monkeypox_3451701/)

• COVID
  • The incidence is close to 1,000 and Darias recommends masks (https://www.larazon.es/sociedad/20220701/hft7vlwzsze57fux3tafnxpqyq.html)

• Regulatory announcements
  • The Constitutional Court parks the main pending sentences (euthanasia and abortion) until it is renewed (https://elpais.com/espana/2022-07-02/el-constitucional-aparcara-las-principales-sentencias-pendientes-hasta-ser -renewed.html)
  • The Government approves the Trans law with seven health keys for the SNS, including hormonal or surgical treatment for these people (https://www.consalud.es/politica/gobierno-aproba-ley-trans-7-claves- sanitary-implicaran-sns_117039_102.html)
  • Definitive support from Congress for medical cannabis (https://www.consalud.es/politica/parlamentos/apoyo-definitivo-congreso-regulacion-cannabis-medicinal-en-espana_117063_102.html)

• Other themes
  • Degree in Medicine offers 7,445 places at the University (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/medico-joven/grado/las-universidades-ofertaran-7445-plazas-de-medicina-en-el-curso-2022 /2023.html)
  • Sánchez announces that he will fix 67,000 toilets in Spain (https://elpais.com/espana/2022-07-03/pedro-sanchez-vamos-a- Hace-fijos-a-67000-sanitarios-en-espana .html)
  • Sick leaves last almost twice as long if they are managed by Social Security than if they are managed by mutual insurance companies (https://www.larazon.es/economia/20220630/yhgmjx3d4rbifnbowayjzci7xu.html)
  • Important article by Roser Fernández in La Vanguardia, against the equity law (https://www.lavanguardia.com/encatala/20220628/8370620/salvem-sanitat-publica.html)
  • Catalonia joins the criticism of the new equity law (https://diariofarma.com/2022/06/29/cataluna-se-suma-a-las-criticas-frente-a-la-ley-de- equity)

Companies

• International News
  • Oxford Biomedica extends covid vaccination agreement with Astra Zeneca (https://www.ft.com/content/d5a2cdb6-8138-4511-b6c5-a06f31a65e76)
  • The pandemic is fueling the growth of “traditional medicine” vendors, regardless of their debatable usefulness (https://www.economist.com/business/2022/06/30/the-pandemic-is-boosting-sellers -of-traditional-medicine)
  • The American government invests 75 million US$ in a Croda factory, to produce mRNA components for vaccines, in the United States (https://www.ft.com/content/2a6e1725-ebdc-4066-a450-7df8812c46ce)

• National News
  • Healthcare technology companies request a plan, given the supply crisis and the increase in costs (https://www.actasanitaria.com/politica-y-sociedad/empresas-tecnologia-sanitaria-solicitan-plan-choque_2002990_102.html )
  • The Spanish pharmaceutical industry sets a new export record, exceeding 17,000 million euros in 2021 (https://www.actasanitaria.com/politica-y-sociedad/industria-farmaceutica-en-espana-marca-nuevo-record -in-exportation_2002987_102.html)
  • Wayalia, the Spanish company specializing in home care, gains momentum in Spain and prepares five openings in the summer (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/wayalia-coge-impulso-en-espana-y-prepara-cinco- openings-in-summer.html)
  • Viamed Salud acquires the Aixen clinic in Logroño (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/secciones/privada/viamed-salud-adquiere-la-clinica-alxen-en-logrono-9172)
  • Unilabs acquires Grupo Centro Scanner, an Andalusian radiology group (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/unilabs-se-va-de-compras-y-adquiere-grupo-centro-scanner.html)
  • Nara capital bets on biotech and prepares a fund of 25 million euros (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/nara-capital-apuesta-por-el-biotech-y-prepara-un-fund-of -25-million-euros.html)
  • KKR and CVC are studying entering Grifols, if the laboratory decides to increase capital (https://cincodias.elpais.com/cincodias/2022/06/29/companias/1656528083_794971.html)
  • Helvetia buys 10% of CASER from Unicaja and increases its participation to 80% (https://cincodias.elpais.com/cincodias/2022/06/28/companias/1656397114_901753.html)
  • Healthcare Assets will invest 100 million euros until the end of the year (https://www.expansion.com/inmobiliario/2022/06/30/62bcdd5d468aeb62388b467c.html)
  • Andalusia renews the concert with the Pascual Clinics for 44.5 million euros (https://www.plantadoce.com/publico/andalucia-renueva-el-concierto-sanitario-con-las-clinicas-pascual-por-445 -millions-of-euros.html)