Summary

The most impactful healthcare news of the week included:

• Biomedicine: AI trends in healthcare in 2026 analyzed.
• Global health: Venezuelan doctors speak out and denounce the situation in the healthcare sector.
• International health policy: The UK’s good idea for customized genetic medicines, proposing a new reimbursement system.
• National health policy: Doctors increase pressure on the Health Ministry and call for a week-long strike each month until June.
• Business: “Big Tobacco” companies are evolving into “Big Nicotine”.

Biomedicine

• AI trends in healthcare in 2026. The trends that seem clear and very positive, according to Bertalan Mesko, are: 1. Language models; 2. Home blood collection; 3. An improvement in longevity, integrating this approach into our daily lives; 4. Healthcare navigation systems; 5. The beginning of heart rate variability analysis; 6. The year of the consolidation of “scribes” in consultations; 7. Generative artificial intelligence for pharmaceutical companies.
• The treatment of a teenager with an ultra-rare disease as a medical milestone. The possibilities of CRISPR technology in these types of diseases.
• Scientists create a scalpel that provides instant data during surgeries. Researchers at the Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague (UCT Prague) have developed and validated the “laboratory in a scalpel” concept.

Global Health

• Venezuelan doctors speak out. Doctors denounce the ongoing repression and the multiple failures of the health system, as medicines are scarce and very expensive, waiting lists grow endlessly, and the exodus of doctors is constant.
• “Made in Africa” ​​laboratories to detect epidemics in record time. The Pasteur Institute in Dakar is leading a project to monitor the emergence of diseases such as Ebola, dengue fever, and yellow fever in more than a dozen countries. They are seeking a faster response time and to reduce dependence on foreign aid.

International Health Policy

• The UK’s good idea for customized genetic medicines. The UK is testing a new funding system for these medicines, not based, as is customary, on sales volume. Only with a different reimbursement system will it be possible to develop medicines for ultra-rare diseases.
• Trump’s second term and the weaponization of healthcare. This article lists all of Trump’s attacks on the healthcare system.
• Much more land would be needed to comply with the red meat-rich diet proposed by RFK, Jr. The 25% increase in meat and dairy products would require 100 million more acres of land for agriculture.

National Health Policy (Spain)

• Doctors increase pressure on the Health Ministry and call for a week-long strike each month until June. The first strike will begin on February 16th, and the unions are calling for a “united demonstration” two days prior in Madrid. The Secretary General of CESM, in response to the proposed indefinite strike, reiterates the demand for a medical statute similar to those in Portugal, the United Kingdom, and Germany.

Companies

• International
  • “Big Tobacco” companies are evolving into “Big Nicotine.” Companies such as British American Tobacco and Philip Morris are reorienting their businesses toward nicotine-based alternatives.
  • Trump’s attacks on the pharmaceutical industry are driving increased interest from funds in this sector in Europe. The value of private equity transactions in Europe has increased by 70%, while in the United States it has grown by only 20%.

• National
  • The health insurance sector once again stands out above the rest of the insurance industry and is projected to grow by 11.43% in 2025. Health insurance premiums totaled €13.443 billion, and among its varieties—healthcare assistance, reimbursement, and subsidy—the first stands out, having grown by 12.08%.

Biomedicine

• A new study highlights the brain’s role in the immune system. This is demonstrated in a study with volunteers conducted in Israel and published in Nature Medicine (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/01/21/a-new-study-highlights-the-brains-role-in-immune-health)
• Blood biomarkers for Alzheimer’s. These tests are cost-effective, minimally invasive, and highly accessible (https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.226049)
• AI trends in healthcare in 2026. The trends that appear clear and very positive, according to Bertalan Mesko, are: 1. Language models; 2. Home blood collection; 3. An improvement in longevity by integrating the approach into our daily lives; 4. Healthcare navigation systems; 5. The beginning of heart rate variability analysis; 6. The year of the consolidation of “scribes” in consultations; 7. Generative artificial intelligence for pharmaceutical companies (https://medicalfuturist.com/top-digital-health-and-healthcare-ai-trends-to-watch-in-2026)
• Treating a teenager with an ultra-rare disease as a medical milestone. The possibilities of CRISPR technology in these types of diseases (https://www.economcom/science-and-technology/2026/01/19/treatment-of-a-teenager-with-an-ultra-rare-condition-is-a-medical-milestone)
• Some immune systems defeat cancer: a possible drug? Researchers found an antibody that appears to play a role in people with a better prognosis for lung cancer. But translating that into a drug can be difficult (https://www.nytimecom/2026/01/22/health/lung-cancer-antibodies-immune-system.html)
• How air pollution impacts ALS risk. A study finds that pollution also accelerates the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (https://www.abc.es/salud/enfermedades/relacion-contaminacion-aire-mayor-riesgo-ela-20260121145800-nt.html)
• The baby saved with CRISPR and four other scientific milestones in 2025 (https://elpais.com/expres/2025-12-09/el-bebe-salvado-con-crispr-y-otros-cuatro-hitos-de-la-ciencia-en-2025.html)
• Genetic variants identified that explain why 15% of pregnancies end in miscarriage. A study of 140,000 embryos shows with unprecedented detail how less than half of human conceptions survive to birth (https://www.abc.es/salud/enfermedades/explican-embarazos-terminan-abortos-espontaneos-20260121170023-nt.html)
• The bacteria that causes syphilis was already present in the Americas 5,500 years ago (https://elpais.com/ciencia/2026-01-22/la-bacteria-causante-de-la-sifilis-ya-estaba-en-america-hace-5500-anos.html). Access the original article: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adw3020
• A large study rules out that drugs like omeprazole increase the risk of stomach cancer, as suggested by previous studies (https://www.ecom/directivos/estilo-vida/salud/2026/01/22/6970b2fde5fdead8798b4577.html). Access the original article: https://www.bmj.com/content/392/bmj-2025-086384
• Scientists create a scalpel that provides instant data during surgery. Researchers at the Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague (UCT Prague) have developed and validated the concept of a “scalpel-like laboratory” (https://www.consalud.es/saludigital/innovacion-tecnologica/disenan-un-bisturi-que-permite-obtener-informacion-sobre-la-cirugia-en-tiempo-real.html)

Global Health

• To properly assess progress in global health, high-quality evidence is needed (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-00073-2). To this end, the journal Nature has published a new article titled Nature Health, specifically to measure the correlation between policy and practice.
• Sudan: Infectious diseases are on the rise in rural areas (https://www.bmj.com/content/392/bmj.s87)
• Venezuelan doctors are speaking out. Doctors report that repression continues and the healthcare system suffers from multiple failures, with medicines scarce and prohibitively expensive, waiting lists constantly growing, and a steady exodus of doctors (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00134-0/fulltext).
• Bill Gates and OpenAI contribute $50 million to expand AI use in African clinics. They hope to bring AI to more than 1,000 clinics in Rwanda and other African countries, with the aim of expanding access to quality healthcare in poor countries (https://www.ft.com/content/94e685da-f41d-4625-8585-768d7f901c35)
• Microplastics are no longer a public health emergency in Africa, according to the African Union Health Agency (https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2026/01/24/la-mpox-n-est-plus-une-urgence-de-sante-publique-en-afrique-annonce-l-agence-de-sante-de-l-union-africaine_6663944_3212.html)
• Is the threat of microplastics really that serious? The problem is real, but several studies claim that the figures are inflated. A study published in Nature concludes that estimates of their presence in the air could be exaggerated by between 100 and 10,000 times (https://elpais.com/clima-y-medio-ambiente/2026-01-21/es-tan-grave-la-amenaza-de-los-microplasticos-el-problema-es-real-pero-varias-investigaciones-denuncian-que-las-cifras-estan-infladas.html). Access the original article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09998-6
• “Made in Africa” laboratories to detect epidemics in record time. The Pasteur Institute in Dakar is leading a project to monitor the emergence of diseases such as Ebola, dengue fever, and yellow fever in more than a dozen countries. They are seeking a faster response time and to reduce dependence on foreign countries (https://elpais.com/planeta-futuro/2025-12-02/laboratorios-made-in-africa-para-detectar-epidemias-en-tiempo-record.html)

International Health Policy

• USA
  • Trump’s second term and the weaponization of healthcare. This article lists all of Trump’s attacks on the healthcare system (https://www.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/bmj.s91)
  • The US’s return to the WHO may depend on Trump’s ability to impose his new director, as the position is up for renewal next year. According to Politico, the US’s return will depend on whether Trump likes the new director (https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/22/who-world-health-organization-trump-tedros-00740545)
  • Much more land would be needed to comply with the high-red-meat diet proposed by RFK, Jr. The 25% increase in meat and dairy products would require 100 million more acres of land for agriculture (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/20/rfk-jr-trump-meat-diet-guidelines-land)
  • Republicans will face intense pressure to support Trump’s healthcare plan. A lack of Democratic support would mean the plan would not pass the Senate under current rules (https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/20/trump-health-plan-congress-00734445)
  • Kennedy’s anti-vaccine policy unites Democrats and Republicans against him. The Health Secretary appeared before the Senate after firing the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over disagreements about vaccines (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-09-04/la-politica-antivacunas-de-kennedy-une-a-democratas-y-republicanos-en-su-contra.html)
  • Big insurers try to blame hospitals and the pharmaceutical industry for the increase in healthcare spending in the USA. In two appearances before Congress, the executives were accused of failing to control healthcare spending (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/health/health-insurers-obamacare-congress.html)

• China
  • China’s birth rate plunges to its lowest level since 1949. China’s population has declined for four consecutive years (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/18/business/china-population-data.html)

• India
  • Advances in healthcare, India’s ambitions. It aims to become a developed nation by 2047 (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)02636-4/fulltext)

• United Kingdom
  • The UK’s good idea for customized genetic medicines. The UK is testing a new funding system for these medicines, not based, as is usual, on sales volume (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/01/22/britains-good-idea-for-custom-genetic-medicines)
  • NHS regions should be part of the NHS, not the Department (https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-analysis/blogs/nhs-regions-department)
  • The Nuffield Trust’s response to the NHS’s online hospitals proposal. The article proposes that the seven regions become health authorities, rather than relying solely on the Ministry (https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/news-item/nuffield-trust-response-to-plans-set-out-for-nhs-online-hospital)
  • Health insurers are growing at a record pace, among the problems facing the NHS, particularly due to insurance companies offering plans to their employees, given the difficulty of accessing the public system (https://www.ft.com/content/ef58761a-bf03-4eef-8a89-f31e193e51f7)

• France
  • The Senate rejects the key article of the bill on assisted dying. The door is closed to the possibility that an incurably ill patient can request a lethal product from their doctor (https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2026/01/22/fin-de-vie-coup-de-theatre-au-senat-avec-le-rejet-de-l-article-cle-de-la-proposition-de-loi-sur-l-aide-a-mourir_6663638_3224.html)

National Health Policy

• Central Government Initiatives
  • From Funding Medicines to Funding Indications: A Silent Shift in the NHS. Analysis of public funding for medicines reveals a profound shift in the NHS: decisions are not being reduced, but their scope is. Total funding for authorized indications has been steadily declining in recent years. (https://diariofarma.com/2026/01/20/de-financiar-medicamentos-a-financiar-indicaciones-asi-es-el-giro-silencioso-del-sns)

• Regional Government Initiatives
  • The Ayuso government imposes fines on 7 public/private hospitals for failing to meet quality standards. EL PAÍS has obtained internal documents showing that €2.2 million was not paid to hospitals between 2021 and 2024 due to maintenance or laundry failures (https://elpais.com/espana/madrid/2026-01-22/el-gobierno-de-ayuso-impone-multas-a-siete-hospitales-publico-privados-por-incumplir-los-estandares-de-calidad.html)
  • Valencian Community: the “new” primary care is launched (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/medicina-familiar/comunidad-valenciana-nueva-atencion-primaria-ve-luz.html)
  • The Basque Country launches a pioneering model that unites doctors and social services in a single space (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/pais-vasco/el-pais-vasco-estrena-un-modelo-pionero-que-une-medicos-y-servicios-sociales-en-un-solo-espacio.html)
  • The new Faculty of Medicine arrives in La Rioja (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/la-rioja/la-nueva-facultad-de-medicina-llega-este-2026-a-la-rioja-nuestro-ecosistema-sanitariose-va-a-fortalecer.html)
  • Osakidetza awards 60 hard-to-fill family doctor positions (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/autonomias/pais-vasco/osakidetza-adjudica-60-plazas-de-dificil-cobertura-a-medicos-de-familia–6471)

• MIR (Medical Residency Exam)
  • A chaotic MIR exam begins (https://www.elconfidencial.com/salud/2026-01-21/mir-2026-que-es-preguntas_4287426/)
  • Nearly 800 unsuccessful applicants will be able to take the exam (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2026/01/24/6973a8bd21efa05a4c8b45d8.html)

• Framework Statute
  • Doctors increase pressure on the Health Ministry and call for a week-long strike each month until June. The first strike will begin on February 16, and the unions are calling for a “united demonstration” two days prior in Madrid (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2026-01-22/los-medicos-convocan-una-semana-de-huelga-al-mes-desde-el-16-de-febrero-para-exigir-un-estatuto-propio.html)
  • “The European medical profession has its own statutes, so why is Spain the exception?” The Secretary General of CESM, in response to the proposed indefinite strike, reiterates the demand for a medical statute like those in Portugal, the United Kingdom, and Germany. (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/profesion/profesion-medica-europea-estatutos-propios-espana-excepcion.html)

• Artificial intelligence
  • 90% of young people use AI for health consultations before going to the doctor. One in four Spaniards admits to self-diagnosing via the internet, influencers, or AI tools (https://theobjective.com/sanidad/2026-01-25/jovenes-ia-consultas-salud-medico/)

• Medical Negligence
  • Complaints of medical negligence are skyrocketing in Spain (https://www.elespanol.com/ciencia/salud/20260121/denuncias-negligencia-medica-disparan-espana-crecen-cirugias-esteticas-fallidas-partos-hipoxia/1003744097141_0.html)

• Leprosy
  • Leprosy is still present in Spain, with more than 100 cases per year (https://www.elespanol.com/ciencia/salud/20260123/lepra-sigue-viva-espana-casos-anos-andalucia-madrid-cataluna-encabezan-lista/1003744100258_0.html)

Companies

• International
  • “Big Tobacco” companies are evolving into “Big Nicotine.” Companies like British American Tobacco and Philip Morris are refocusing their businesses on nicotine-based alternatives (https://www.ft.com/content/701f58d2-66f8-4dfb-91de-f49dadecc24e)
  • GSK poised to acquire a food allergy company for $2.2 billion (https://www.ft.com/content/80a5f5fc-59e0-4969-803e-7fd50e4812ba)
  • Trump’s attacks on the pharmaceutical industry are driving increased interest from funds in this sector in Europe. The value of private equity deals in the old continent has risen by 70%, while in the United States it has grown by ‘only’ 20%. (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260121/ataques-trump-industria-farmaceutica-disparan-interes-fondos-sector-europa/1003744097200_0.html)
  • Abbvie also agrees to price reductions with the Trump Administration (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/empresas/abbvie-acuerda-tambien-bajadas-precios-administracion-trump.html)

• National News
  • The gym business in Spain gains strength in 2025 (https://theobjective.com/economia/2026-01-24/gimnasios-espana-facturacion-2025/)
  • The health insurance sector once again stands out above the rest of the insurance industry and grows by 11.43% in 2025. Health insurance premiums totaled €13.443 billion, and among its varieties—healthcare, reimbursement, and subsidy—the first stands out, having grown by 12.08%. (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/empresas/ramo-salud-vuelve-destacar-resto-seguros-crece-1143-2025.html)
  • Miranza reinforces its leadership in ophthalmology with the incorporation of the Bedia clinic in Cantabria (https://www.consalud.es/salud35/nacional/miranza-refuerza-su-liderazgo-en-oftalmologia-con-la-incorporacion-de-clinica-bedia-en-cantabria.html)
  • Sanitas strengthens its healthcare network with a new comprehensive medical center in Alicante by 2027 (https://www.consalud.es/salud35/nacional/sanitas-refuerza-su-red-asistencial-con-un-nuevo-centro-medico-integral-en-alicante-para-2027.html)
  • Galenicum partners with India’s Lupin to manufacture generics of Ozempic (https://www.expansion.com/catalunya/2026/01/23/69727d31e5fdea8f688b458e.html)
  • HM will build a mega-hospital complex in northern Madrid. The Abarca family’s new complex will consist of a hospital, a senior living residence, and a university campus. (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud-bienestar/noticias/13739177/01/26/hm-hospitales-construira-un-megacomplejo-sanitario-en-el-norte-de-madrid.html)
  • Sanofi will transfer the management of its factory in Girona to Adamed Pharma) (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud-bienestar/noticias/13739448/01/26/sanofi-transferira-la-gestion-de-su-fabrica-en-girona-a-adamed-pharma.html)