Summary

The week’s most impactful health news stories were:

• Biomedicine: Dementia is being defeated.
• Global health: African countries under pressure sign the Trump America First Deal health agreement.
• International health policy: The NHS’s AI policy: means £10 billion in investment.
• National health policy: Notable increase in sick leave in Spain, largely attributable to delays in the healthcare system.
• Business: Investment funds are on a buying spree in Spain, targeting private healthcare.

Biomedicine

• How dementia is being defeated. The Economist article says that the incidence among the elderly is falling rapidly. According to their analysis published in JAMA, while 40 years ago 3 out of 10 people aged 85-89 had dementia, now it’s only one.
• Obesity is inherited: how genes determine our relationship with food. More than 3,000 genetic variants determine a predisposition to weight gain. A genetic predisposition that has been reinforced in recent years by environmental factors.
• Liquid saliva biopsy brings early detection of head and neck cancer closer.

Global Health

• African countries under pressure sign the Trump America First Deal health agreement; a few reject it. The multilateral approach is being replaced by bilateral agreements with countries, of which some 30 have already signed, driven by the need for aid.
• Ending HIV: a real possibility. In a new United Nations declaration, countries commit to ending HIV by 2030.
• The out-of-control Ebola epidemic is spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo at a record rate.
• Cancer is expected to increase globally, according to the WHO report.

International Health Policy

• The NHS’s AI policy: what the £10 billion investment means and what the concerns are. The initiative includes a triage tool to direct the patient to the appropriate service, a “write” tool to transcribe the conversation with the patient, and the NHS Hospital online initiative.
• The UK launches a national dementia registry to boost the search for treatments.
• While RFK, Jr. wants the population to have access to more preventative care, some experts say it’s a bad idea. RFK Jr. counts test manufacturers among his allies.
• Germany puts the death toll from the June heatwave at more than 5,000. The high number of fatalities highlights the country’s lack of preparedness for extreme temperatures.
• Record-breaking temperatures in Europe: Is the continent experiencing a new climate? Nature asks experts if super-hot summers will be the new norm in London, Paris, and Berlin.

National Health Policy (Spain)

• The Ministry of Health approves the new euthanasia manual to expedite urgent cases, despite opposition from the Community of Madrid.
• All the sister autonomous communities oppose the Ministry of Health over the Framework Statute.
• Several autonomous communities reject the elimination of 24-hour on-call shifts for doctors, deeming it unfeasible. The Minister of Health has reiterated that eliminating 24-hour on-call shifts has been one of her ministerial team’s main objectives since the beginning of the legislature.
• The IDIS Foundation launches the data space on Private Healthcare in Spain after completing its development, a sector-wide initiative that marks a milestone in the management, governance, and use of healthcare information in Spain.

Companies

• International
  • Moderna signs a contract with Brussels for the supply of up to 24 million doses of its RSV vaccine.
  • Blackstone and TPG seek more than $4 billion to acquire Hologic.

• National
  • Investment funds are on a buying spree in Spain, targeting private healthcare. According to market sources, there will be at least one major transaction, a significant acquisition, between the end of 2026 and mid-2027.

Biomedicine

• How to prevent dementia? What science really says. The number of dementia cases is projected to fall from 57 million in 2019 to 153 million in 2050. Studies analyzed by Nature examine the effects of diet, exercise, and social activity (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-02098-z)
• How dementia is being defeated. The Economist article states that the incidence among the elderly is falling rapidly. According to their analysis published in JAMA, while 40 years ago 3 out of 10 people aged 85-89 had dementia, now it is only one (https://www.economist.com/briefing/2026/07/09/how-dementia-is-being-defeated)
• From cloning to gene editing: the lasting impact of Dolly the sheep. Dolly the sheep sparked current discussions on reproductive technology (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-02096-1)
• Ending HIV: a real possibility. In a new United Nations declaration, countries commit to ending HIV by 2030 (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)01375-9/fulltext)
• A misguided bet by the WHO on complementary and alternative medicine. The use of traditional medicine must meet efficacy and safety standards (https://www.bmj.com/content/393/bmj-2026-100062)
• What’s really going on with mental health? (https://www.ft.com/content/063b7eed-3f13-43d4-8f12-ff6439b825e8?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
• The genes that can avert a fatal diagnosis (https://www.theatlantic.com/health/2026/07/genetic-outliers/687821/)
• Preconception genetic screening: The American Academy of Medicine recommends opening access to couples with no family history (https://www.lemonde.fr/sante/article/2026/07/10/depistage-genetique-preconceptionnel-l-academie-de-medecine-recommande-d-ouvrir-l-acces-aux-couples-sans-antecedents-familiaux_6722448_1651302.html)
• Obesity is inherited: how genes determine the relationship with food. More than 3,000 variants determine the predisposition to weight gain. A genetic prophecy that has been reinforced in recent years by environmental factors (https://elpais.com/salud-y-bienestar/2026-07-08/la-obesidad-se-hereda-como-los-genes-determinan-la-relacion-con-la-comida.html)
• Liquid saliva biopsy brings early detection of head and neck cancer closer (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/otorrinolaringologia/biopsia-liquida-saliva-acerca-deteccion-precoz-cancer-cabeza-cuello.html)

Global Health

• Ending HIV: a real possibility. In a new United Nations declaration, countries commit to ending HIV by 2030 (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)01375-9/fulltext)
• The American response to Ebola and the future of global health leadership. The reduction in US aid (USAID) related to the virulence of the infection (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)01291-2/fulltext)
• Children in all policies, an important report from The Lancet (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00856-1/fulltext)
• African countries under pressure sign the Trump America First health agreement; a few reject it. The multilateral approach is being replaced by bilateral agreements with countries, of which some 30 have already signed, driven by the need for aid (https://www.bmj.com/content/394/bmj-2026-100192)
• Congolese residents hopeful as first Ebola treatment trials begin (https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/05/residents-in-congo-cling-to-hope-as-ebola-treatment-trial-begins-00987135)
• The ever-out-of-control Ebola epidemic is spreading in the DRC at a record pace (https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2026/07/10/l-epidemie-d-ebola-toujours-hors-de-controle-se-propage-en-rdc-a-une-vitesse-record_6722502_3212.html)
• The Ebola epidemic: deaths reach 600, according to the WHO (https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2026/07/09/epidemie-d-ebola-en-rdc-le-bilan-atteint-600-morts-selon-l-oms_6722070_3212.html)
• Cancer is expected to increase globally, according to the WHO report (https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jul/08/health-who-global-persistent-inequities-progress-cancer-prevention-diagnosis-treatment-care). Access the WHO’s 2026 cancer report: (https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240123977)
• The WHO estimates that 20% of the population will develop cancer and 92% will be affected by the disease. (https://www.expansion.com/directivos/estilo-vida/salud/2026/07/08/6a4e44c7e5fdea6f3a8b4577.html)

International Health Policy

• USA
  • Elderly Care in the USA: The Staffing Crisis (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2604122)
  • While RFK Jr. wants more access to preventative care, some experts say it’s a bad idea. RFK Jr. counts test manufacturers among his allies (https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/05/rfk-preventive-kidney-alzheimers-colon-cancer-00986644)
  • Efforts to Help Smokers Quit Under Trump. The CDC’s Office for Tobacco Control has been shut down for over a year (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/06/us/trump-anti-smoking-cuts.html)

• United Kingdom
  • British pharmacies report high demand for weight-loss pills (https://www.ft.com/content/5bb61b31-e168-41a4-b7f1-278122d001ee?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
  • UK launches national dementia registry to boost the search for treatments (https://www.ft.com/content/e45a07e4-8c63-4505-99b9-8dc24a811444?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
  • Within the NHS, in trials of psychedelic drugs (https://www.ft.com/content/0a2da1de-1333-4d7c-a755-c8ebb3fbbc56?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
  • The NHS AI policy: what the £10 billion investment means and what the concerns are. The initiative includes a triage tool to send the patient to the right service, “Write” to transcribe the conversation with the patient, and the NHS Hospital online initiative (https://www.bmj.com/content/394/bmj-2026-100255)
  • The healthcare costs of the UK-US drug price agreement. According to the authors of this article, this agreement will divert money from healthcare and result in thousands of excess deaths (https://www.bmj.com/content/394/bmj-2026-340588)
  • Consultants (heads of hospital departments) vote for an “industrial action” (strike) in England (https://www.bmj.com/content/394/bmj-2026-100209)

• France
  • Assisted dying: The Senate definitively abandons its attempt to amend the National Assembly’s text; the result will be announced on July 15 (https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2026/07/08/aide-a-mourir-le-senat-renonce-definitivement-a-modifier-le-texte-de-l-assemblee-nationale_6721690_3224.html)
  • Mortality Perinatal mortality: always worrying figures and causes to explore (https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2026/07/08/mortalite-perinatale-malgre-des-chiffres-toujours-inquietants-les-causes-restent-encore-a-explorer_6721555_3224.html)

• Germany
  • Germany puts the death toll from the June heatwave at more than 5,000. The high number of fatalities highlights the country’s lack of preparedness for extreme temperatures (https://elpais.com/clima-y-medio-ambiente/2026-07-09/alemania-cifra-en-mas-de-5000-las-muertes-por-la-ola-de-calor-de-junio.html)

• Europe
  • Record-breaking temperatures in Europe: Is the continent experiencing a new climate? Nature asks experts if super-hot summers will be the new normal in London, Paris and Berlin (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-02046-x)

National Health Policy

• Central Government
  • The Ministry of Health approves the new euthanasia manual to expedite urgent cases, despite opposition from the Community of Madrid. This is one of 16 agreements reached at Friday’s Interterritorial Council meeting, although the Framework Statute dominated much of the discussion, to the point that the Minister announced a new plenary session of the Interterritorial Council next week (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2026/07/10/6a510af9e9cf4ac35c8b4589.html)

• Regional Governments
  • Madrid strengthens its Virtual Health Card with the ability to view medical tests. The Virtual Health Card already has more than 3.9 million registered users who access its 76 services and nearly 228 features (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/c-madrid/madrid-refuerza-su-tarjeta-sanitaria-virtual-con-la-visualizacion-de-pruebas-medicas.html)

• Framework Statute
  • All the sister autonomous communities against the Ministry of Health over the Framework Statute (https://www.consalud.es/politica/ministerio-sanidad/todas-las-ccaa-hermanadas-frente-al-ministerio-por-el-estatuto-marco-monica-garcia-esta-sola.html)
  • Feijóo demands the dismissal of Mónica García over the doctors’ conflict and accuses Sánchez of “washing his hands” (https://www.consalud.es/politica/feijoo-exige-el-cese-de-monica-garcia-por-el-conflicto-con-los-medicos.html)

• On-call shifts for doctors
  • Several autonomous communities have rejected the proposal to eliminate 24-hour on-call shifts for doctors, deeming it unfeasible. The Minister of Health has reiterated that eliminating 24-hour on-call shifts has been one of her ministerial team’s main objectives since the beginning of the legislature (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/secciones/ministerio-sanidad/el-rechazo-de-varias-ccaa-a-suprimir-las-guardias-de-24h-es-irrealizable-8180)

• Sick leave
  • 14 charts to explain the increase in sick leave in Spain. Employers and unions agree that the backlog in the public healthcare system is one of the main reasons for the rise in temporary disability claims, which Feijóo has described as “a cancer” (https://elpais.com/economia/2026-07-08/14-graficos-para-explicar-el-aumento-de-las-bajas-laborales-en-espana.html)
  • Escrivá (Bank of Spain) calls for greater intervention by mutual insurance companies to reduce absenteeism (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/economia/empleo/20260708/escriva-banco-espana-reclama-intervencion-mutuas-reducir-absentismo-laboral/1003744314440_0.html)
  • SEMFYC calls for an end to the “monopoly” of primary care in sick leave claims. Semfyc proposes allowing three days of self-justified sick leave and that any doctor can issue the sick leave certificate to reduce the bureaucratic burden. (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/profesion/semfyc-pide-acabar-monopolio-atencion-primaria-bajas-laborales.html)

• Data Space on Private Healthcare in Spain
  • The IDIS Foundation launches the data space on Private Healthcare in Spain after completing its development, a sector-wide initiative that marks a milestone in the management, governance, and use of healthcare information in Spain (https://www.consalud.es/industria/sanidad-privada/la-fundacion-idis-lanza-el-espacio-de-datos-sobre-la-sanidad-privada-en-espana.html)

• Profarma Plan
  • The government consolidates Profarma as a cornerstone of its strategy to strengthen the pharmaceutical industry (https://www.consalud.es/industria/sanidad-destaca-los-beneficios-del-plan-profarma-en-i-d-desarrollo-industrial-y-acceso-a-medicamentos.html)

• Public funding for obesity drugs
  • The move in France to fund obesity drugs reopens the debate in Spain. France has become the first country in the European Union to fund these medications (https://www.consalud.es/politica/el-movimiento-de-francia-de-financiar-los-farmacos-contra-la-obesidad-reabre-el-debate-en-espana.html)

Companies

• International
  • Blackstone and TPG seek more than $4 billion to buy Hologic (https://www.ft.com/content/1096b05f-13c1-466c-90c1-54dc2d0728aa?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
  • Bayer sells its contraception business to Apollo for $3 billion (https://www.ft.com/content/2ac9c03f-f810-4514-a11e-5802e86c0d12?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
  • Vertex buys Crinetics for its endocrinology portfolio in a deal valued at €8.75 billion (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260707/vertex-compra-crinetics-portfolio-endocrinologia-operacion-valorada-millones-euros/1003744312581_0.html)
  • Moderna closes a contract with Brussels for the supply of up to 24 million doses of its RSV vaccine (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260710/moderna-cierra-contrato-bruselas-suministro-millones-dosis-vacuna-vrs/1003744316765_0.html)
  • Europe asks for the withdrawal of an Amgen drug from the market due to “incorrect and misleading” data, and the US is considering doing so (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260706/europa-pide-retirar-mercado-medicamento-amgen-datos-incorrectos-enganosos-eeuu-baraja-hacerlo/1003744309876_0.html)

• National
  • Investment funds are on a buying spree in Spain, targeting private healthcare. According to market sources, there will be at least one major transaction, a significant acquisition, between the end of 2026 and mid-2027 (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260706/fondos-inversion-compras-espana-objetivo-sanidad-privada/1003744309828_0.html)

This post is also available in: Spanish