…, 7 days in healthcare (September 21st-27th, 2026)

/in /by

 

Summary

News of the week:

  • Bill Gates warns that the power of AI could cause 1 billion deaths.

The week’s most impactful healthcare news stories:

  • Biomedicine: Millions of surgeries should be avoided.
  • Global health: Recommendations (The Lancet) for preparing for the next pandemic.
  • International health policy: The US and EU reject the UN declaration on future pandemics.
  • National health policy: Waiting lists—a measurement system under scrutiny.
  • Business: The post-pandemic rise in mental health disorders sparks a wave of acquisitions in the pharmaceutical industry.

Biomedicine

  • Editorial from *The Economist*: Back and shoulder surgeries are often worse than useless; millions of operations should be avoided. Of the ten most common orthopedic surgeries, only three—carpal tunnel release and hip and knee replacements—offer results clearly superior to non-surgical care.
  • Why medicine no longer views Alzheimer’s as untreatable. Alzheimer’s disease—long considered an inevitable and “untreatable” condition—can no longer be universally described in those terms. This is the conclusion of the *World Alzheimer Report 2026*, published this Monday to coincide with World Alzheimer’s Day.
  • Skepticism regarding Anthropic’s announcement of a new gene-editing system. The alleged discovery of a CRISPR-like system by the AI ​​Claude has been met with caution by the scientific community, which questions its novelty.

Global Health

  • Bill Gates warns that the power of AI could cause 1 billion deaths. “AI is undoubtedly powerful enough to trigger events that, as you know, could cause a billion deaths,” states Gates, asserting that “there has never been a weapon as powerful as the combination of people with malicious intent using the most advanced AI tools.”
  • Preparing for the next pandemic: Recommendations to avoid the problems seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

International Health Policy

  • The US rejects the UN declaration on preparing for future pandemics. Most nations supported the agreement, which was rejected by the United States and the European Union. The EU cited intellectual property concerns, while US objections were more ideological in nature.
  • Brussels seeks to compel the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries to pay €4 billion for cleanup costs related to residual pollution. The new directive mandates the implementation of a new water treatment system.

National Health Policy (Spain)

  • Waiting lists: a system suspected of data manipulation for over 20 years. The statistics used to compare the performance of the 17 regional health systems are, in reality, an imperfect indicator.
  • Pre-election phase begins: Moncloa reactivates the abortion reform. To this end, it has unblocked the constitutional reform regarding abortion—despite knowing it will not be passed.
  • Cantabria’s Health Innovation Park to receive €86 million in investment. The ‘Revolution’ project will create a 57,000-square-meter ecosystem in Santander integrating healthcare, R&D&i, and academia.
  • Cantabria unveils its Digital Health Law, a pioneering initiative in Europe. Regional Health Minister César Pascual has outlined a plan comprising 10 sections covering areas such as telecare, applications, electronic prescribing, a data space, electronic health records, artificial intelligence, and neurotechnologies.
  • Public health experts contradict Mónica García: Ceuta urgently needs reinforcements to prevent epidemic outbreaks. The Spanish Society of Preventive Medicine has presented a report highlighting “vulnerabilities in reception facilities” and “coordination failures,” calling for “measures to ensure public safety.”
  • Tuberculosis is gaining ground in Spain: cases have risen by 10%, and the Health Ministry has identified it as a significant issue.

Companies

  • International
    • The post-pandemic rise in mental health disorders has triggered a wave of acquisitions within the pharmaceutical industry.
  • Domestic
    • Ascires has opened a hospital in Valencia, with precision medicine serving as the core of its care model.

Biomedicine

  • Editorial from *The Economist*: Back and shoulder surgery is often worse than useless. Millions of operations should be avoided. Of the ten most common orthopedic surgeries, only three—carpal tunnel release and hip and knee replacements—offer results clearly superior to non-surgical care (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/09/24/back-and-shoulder-surgery-is-often-worse-than-useless)
  • Many surgical interventions are little better than a placebo. Appendectomy—once the standard procedure—can now be advantageously replaced by antibiotic treatment (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/09/23/many-surgical-interventions-are-little-better-than-placebo)
  • Why medicine no longer considers Alzheimer’s an untreatable disease. Alzheimer’s disease, long viewed as an inevitable and “untreatable” condition, can no longer be universally described in those terms. This is confirmed by the *World Alzheimer Report 2026*, published this Monday to coincide with World Alzheimer’s Day (https://www.elindependiente.com/vida-sana/salud/2026/09/23/por-que-la-medicina-ha-dejado-de-considerar-el-alzheimer-una-enfermedad-intratable/). Access the *World Alzheimer Report 2026*: https://www.alzint.org/resource/world-alzheimer-report-2026/
  • Controversial Chinese surgery for Alzheimer’s: thousands operated on without clinical evidence, and its creator arrested. The cervical anastomosis technique promises to “cleanse” the brain of harmful proteins. •Despite being banned in China and lacking conclusive trials, centers worldwide (including hospitals in Spain) are analyzing whether there is a scientific basis for the ‘miracle’ (https://www.elmundo.es/salud/2026/09/21/6ab0e998e9cf4aa55a8b458c.html)
  • The WHO confirms that an annual CT scan detects lung cancer earlier and reduces mortality. This screening program has not yet been implemented in Spain, despite the accumulated evidence and the fact that it is the deadliest tumor in the country and worldwide (https://www.abc.es/salud/enfermedades/oms-confirma-tac-anual-detecta-cancer-pulmon-20260924163016-nt.html)
  • Explorer—the exoskeleton that allows users to leave their wheelchairs in storage—is now available for home use. The device, created by Spanish researchers, is no longer a prototype after receiving approval from the European Medicines Agency (https://elpais.com/salud-y-bienestar/2026-09-26/explorer-el-exoesqueleto-que-permitira-a-muchos-ninos-dejar-la-silla-de-ruedas-en-el-trastero-ya-se-puede-llevar-a-casa.html)
  • Skepticism regarding Anthropic’s announcement of a new gene-editing system. The alleged discovery of a CRISPR-like system by the AI ​​Claude has been met with caution by the scientific community, which questions its novelty (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/genetica/escepticismo-anuncio-anthropic-nuevo-sistema-edicion-genetica.html)
  • International experts outline a roadmap to make precision oncology accessible. The *Lancet Oncology* Commission on Cancer Genomics and Precision Oncology details the challenges of delivering high-quality cancer care worldwide, alongside a new, detailed plan to address them (https://gacetamedica.com/investigacion/comision-expertos-internacionales-hoja-ruta-accesible-oncologia-precision-todo-mundo/). Access the original article: https://www.thelancet.com/commissions-do/accelerating-equitable-cancer-genomics
  • The largest genomic atlas of the prefrontal cortex confirms that youth ends at age 24. Researchers from a US public consortium have published the largest genomic atlas of the prefrontal cortex—the area where cognitive and mental information processing is concentrated—in the journal *Nature*. They confirm that adulthood begins at age 24, marking a turning point in human brain development that signifies the end of youth (https://www.expansion.com/estilo-vida/salud/2026/09/23/6ab2451d468aebe0408b458b.html)

Global Health

  • Bill Gates warns that the power of AI could cause a billion deaths. “AI is undoubtedly powerful enough to trigger events that, as you know, cause a billion deaths,” states Gates, asserting that “there has never been a weapon as powerful as the combination of people with malicious intent using the most advanced AI tools” (https://elpais.com/economia/2026-09-25/bill-gates-advierte-del-poder-de-la-ia-puede-provocar-1000-millones-de-muertes.html)
  • Nepal’s floods: a major test for the United Nations regarding the impact of climate-change-related losses. Countries should not have to wait months to receive international aid (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-03000-7)
  • Preparing for the next pandemic. Recommendations to avoid the pitfalls of the COVID-19 pandemic (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)01908-2/fulltext)
  • Five candidates for the position of WHO Director-General. From Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Spain, and Indonesia (https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/fifth-candidate-enter-race-lead-who-nominations-close-2026-09-25/)
  • Ebola contact tracing lost in DR Congo as outbreak grows, says Africa CDC chief (https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/congo-ebola-contact-tracing-falls-far-short-outbreak-spreads-africa-cdc-chief-2026-09-25/)

International health policy

  • USA
    • The US rejects the UN declaration on preparing for future pandemics. Most nations supported the agreement, which was rejected by the United States and the European Union. The EU cited intellectual property concerns, while US objections are more ideological (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/25/us/politics/us-rejects-un-declaration-on-preparing-for-pandemics.html)
    • The Trump administration removes 750,000 people from Obamacare, citing fraud. Vance states that the measure will save the administration $2.2 billion (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/22/us/politics/aca-obamacare-vance-fraud.html)
    • The White House drops its initial plan to control NIH grants (https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/23/collins-white-house-drops-effort-to-politicize-health-research-grants-01090266)
  • United Kingdom
    • A life-extending breast cancer drug is now in use within NHS England. It will benefit thousands of women in England with incurable breast cancer (https://www.bmj.com/content/394/bmj-2026-100896)
    • Opposition mounts against the NHS agreement with Palantir (https://www.ft.com/content/63bfdeb2-efb1-4e3a-8c89-a884eb5bd618?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
    • England leads the way for community pharmacy. The expansion of the ‘Pharmacy First’ program reinforces the role of community pharmacies as an increasingly important access point to the healthcare system (https://elglobalfarma.com/opinion/editorial/inglaterra-camino-farmacia-comunitaria/)
  • France
    • The number of voluntary pregnancy terminations (IVG) continues to rise in France, with over 259,000 procedures in 2025. Medication-based methods account for four out of five cases (https://sante.lefigaro.fr/ivg-leur-nombre-continue-d-augmenter-en-france-avec-plus-de-259-000-recours-en-2025-20260923)
    • Antidepressants: Prozac facing supply shortages (https://sante.lefigaro.fr/antidepresseurs-le-prozac-touche-par-des-tensions-d-approvisionnement-20260925)
    • Hervé Maisonneuve, the public health integrity officer in France, resigns due to ties with Pfizer (https://sante.lefigaro.fr/social/sante-publique/mis-en-cause-pour-des-liens-avec-pfizer-le-referent-integrite-de-sante-publique-france-demissionne-20260924
  • Latin America
    • Argentina
      • Although women live longer, they have poorer health than men (https://www.clarin.com/newsletter/example/taxuLfHbV?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
    • Brazil
      • How presidential candidates aim to improve public health in Brazil (https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/equilibrioesaude/2026/09/como-os-presidenciaveis-querem-melhorar-a-saude-publica-no-brasil.shtml)
      • Dementia is on the rise in Latin America, and aging alone does not explain it (https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/equilibrioesaude/2026/09/demencia-cresce-na-america-latina-e-nao-e-explicada-so-pelo-envelhecimento.shtml)
      • SUS reformulates its cancer policy, and the ministry increases the budget for this area (https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/equilibrioesaude/2026/09/sus-reformula-politica-de-cancer-e-ministerio-reserva-r-39-bi-para-ampliar-tratamentos.shtml)
    • Chile
      • Strengthening primary care and renewing infrastructure: Santiago presents budget priorities (https://www.emol.com/noticias/Nacional/2026/09/25/1212345/colmed-presupuesto-salud-rm.html)
    • Peru
      • A system based on nanorobot swarms improves early cancer diagnosis (https://elcomercio.pe/tecnologia/actualidad/un-sistema-basado-en-enjambres-de-nanorobots-mejora-el-diagnostico-precoz-del-cancer-ciencias-inventos-noticia/)
      • El Niño phenomenon: hospital ships and mobile units to be deployed to serve the country’s north (https://elcomercio.pe/lima/fenomeno-el-nino-essalud-dispondra-de-buques-hospital-y-unidades-moviles-para-atender-al-norte-del-pais-minsa-ultimas-noticia/)
    • Colombia
      • The crisis facing EPS (health insurance providers) is worsening; debts have reached $40 billion. A report warns of severe financial deterioration among these providers, citing a capital deficit of $18.7 billion (https://citytv.eltiempo.com/noticias/salud/crisis-de-las-eps-se-agrava-deudas-llegan-40-billones_95196)
      • Concern is growing regarding overweight and obesity among Colombian children. Experts are offering recommendations to promote healthy eating and increased physical activity from an early age (https://citytv.eltiempo.com/noticias/salud/crece-la-preocupacion-por-el-sobrepeso-y-la-obesidad-en-ninos-colombianos_95646)

National health policy

  • Central Administration
    • As the pre-election period begins, Moncloa is reactivating the abortion reform. To this end, it has unblocked the constitutional reform regarding abortion—despite knowing it will not be passed— (https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/2026-09-27/el-psoe-reactiva-la-reforma-del-aborto-y-la-eliminacion-de-los-delitos-de-injurias-y-calumnias-contra-el-rey_4431669/)
  • Regional administrations
    • Sanz announces the most significant modernization of the healthcare system and a strengthening of emergency services. This reform will be supported by the creation of an evaluation and innovation committee, enabling the inclusion of experts, professionals, unions, and associations in the system’s modernization process (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/andalucia/sanz-anuncia-la-mayor-modernizacion-del-sistema-sanitario-y-el-refuerzo-de-las-emergencias.html)
    • Cantabria’s Health Innovation Park will receive an investment of 86 million euros. The ‘Revolution’ project will structure a 57,000-square-meter ecosystem in Santander, integrating healthcare, R&D&i, and academia (https://diariofarma.com/2026/09/23/cantabria-da-luz-verde-al-proyecto-revolution-para-su-parque-de-innovacion-en-salud-con-una-inversion-de-86-millones)
    • Galicia’s new mental health plan will double the number of hospital beds available for young people. Sergas will create new units in A Coruña, Ferrol, and Ourense, more than doubling current capacity (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/galicia/el-nuevo-plan-de-salud-mental-de-galicia-duplicara-plazas-de-hospitalizacion-para-los-mas-jovenes.html)
    • Catalonia: the future Tierras del Ebro University Hospital has been declared a project of public interest (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/politica/cataluna-declarado-interes-general-futuro-hospital-universitario-tierras-ebro.html)
    • Cantabria presents its Digital Health Law, a pioneering initiative in Europe. Regional Health Minister César Pascual detailed that the law will comprise 10 chapters covering areas such as remote care, apps, electronic prescribing, data spaces, electronic health records, artificial intelligence, and neurotechnologies (https://medicinaresponsable.com/politica-sanitaria/cantabria-presenta-ley-salud-digital-pionera-espana-europa-regulamos-algoritmo-proteger-humano)
    • Asturias reaches an agreement with the SESPA Physicians’ Union, likely averting the regional strike planned for this autumn. The union—which represents younger doctors and is particularly vocal regarding professional working conditions—has secured improvements to working hours and rest periods (https://www.elcomercio.es/asturias/salud-acuerdo-sindicato-medicos-sespa-asturias-evita-huelga-20260921172754-nt.html)
    • Residents of Asturias can now rate the quality of care at health centers. Sespa extends satisfaction surveys to Primary Care and will begin sending them via SMS following consultations (https://www.lne.es/asturias/2026/09/25/sespa-extiende-atencion-primaria-encuestas-134693641.html)
  • The Ceuta crisis
    • Mónica García claims there is “no collapse” in Ceuta, while street-based medical emergencies have surged by 540% since the breach (https://www.elespanol.com/espana/politica/20260922/monica-garcia-dice-no-colapso-ceuta-urgencias-sanitarias-calle-crecen-asalto/1003744391661_0.html)
    • Doctors and nurses in Ceuta call off their strike and accuse INGESA of sabotage for failing to publish minimum service requirements (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260923/medicos-enfermeras-ceuta-suspenden-huelga-acusan-sanidad-boicot/1003744394280_0.html)
    • Public health experts contradict Mónica García: Ceuta requires urgent reinforcements to prevent disease outbreaks. The Spanish Society of Preventive Medicine has presented a report highlighting “vulnerabilities in reception facilities” and “coordination failures,” prompting calls for “measures to guarantee public safety” (https://www.larazon.es/sociedad/expertos-salud-publica-contradicen-monica-garcia-ceuta-necesita-refuerzos-urgentes-evitar-brotes-epidemicos_202609266ab7ac325e0dc70596ac722e.html)
  • Dispute over the Medical Statute
    • Unions involved in the national negotiation forum (*Ámbito*) reject the parliamentary intergroup and call for the Framework Statute process to be accelerated. SATSE-FSES, FSS-CCOO, UGT, and CSIF argue that the reform has already been sufficiently debated within the negotiation forum and urge parliamentary groups to submit their amendments without requesting further extensions (https://www.consalud.es/profesionales/los-sindicatos-del-ambito-rechazan-el-intergrupo-parlamentario-y-piden-acelerar-el-estatuto-marco.html)
  • Waiting lists
    • A system suspected of data manipulation for over 20 years. The statistics used to compare the performance of the 17 regional health systems are, in reality, an imperfect indicator(https://elpais.com/sociedad/2026-09-21/listas-de-espera-un-sistema-bajo-sospecha-de-maquillaje-durante-mas-de-20-anos.html)
    • El País editorial: Clarity regarding waiting lists (https://elpais.com/opinion/2026-09-23/claridad-sobre-las-listas-de-espera.html)
  • Sick leave
    • Sick leave numbers rise again in the first half of the year, though at a slower pace (https://elpais.com/economia/2026-09-23/las-bajas-laborales-vuelven-a-crecer-en-el-primer-semestre-pero-a-menor-ritmo.html)
    • Workplace accident mutuals estimate Social Security savings of €2.3 billion if they managed medical leave (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260923/mutuas-cifran-millones-ahorro-seguridad-social-gestionaran-bajas-medicas/1003744393047_0.html)
  • Tuberculosis
    • Tuberculosis gains ground in Spain: cases rise by 10% and the Health Ministry identifies it as a significant issue (https://www.consalud.es/pacientes/la-tuberculosis-gana-terreno-en-espana-los-casos-crecen-un-10-y-sanidad-la-situa-como-un-problema-relevante.html)
    • Fernando Simón’s team contradicts Mónica García …and link the rise in tuberculosis to immigration. A report by the Coordination Center for Health Alerts and Emergencies states that the disease rate is four times higher among those born outside Spain (https://www.abc.es/sociedad/informe-sanidad-desmiente-monica-garcia-relaciona-aumento-20260924020717-nt.html)

Companies

  • International
    • Novo and UNICEF renew agreement to prevent childhood obesity (https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/novo-nordisk-unicef-renew-push-prevent-childhood-obesity-2026-09-22/)
    • Novo increases planned workforce cuts to 13,000 employees and projects $20 billion in revenue by 2035 (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260924/novo-nordisk-eleva-recorte-plantilla-trabajadores-espera-facturar-millones-euros/1003744394418_0.html)
    • Novo shares plummet despite revenue forecast of $20 billion (https://cincodias.elpais.com/companias/2026-09-21/como-podra-novo-definir-su-estrategia-de-futuro-mas-alla-de-wegovy-su-medicamento-contra-la-obesidad.html)
    • Rise in mental health disorders following the pandemic sparks a wave of acquisitions in the pharmaceutical industry (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260926/aumento-trastornos-mentales-pandemia-desata-ola-compras-industria-farmaceutica/1003744397143_0.html)
  • Domestic
    • PharmaMar to market its anti-tumor drug Zepzelca in the UK, bringing its total market presence to 21 countries (https://theobjective.com/economia/2026-09-24/pharmamar-comercializara-antitumoral-zepzelca-reino-unido/)
    • Vithas launches a new adult vaccination clinic (https://www.consalud.es/industria/sanidad-privada/vithas-impulsa-una-nueva-consulta-de-vacunacion-del-adulto-para-prevenir-infecciones-potencialmente-graves-2026-09-21-2026-09-21-2026-09-21.html)
    • Ascires opens a hospital in Valencia centered on precision medicine (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/c-valenciana/ascires-inaugura-su-nuevo-hospital-en-valencia-con-la-medicina-de-precision-como-eje-asistencial.html)
    • Santander outperforms the market in health insurance through its partnership with Aegon (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/seguros/2026/09/24/6ab4188c468aeb39058b4591.html)
    • Grifols makes headway in a €700 million market following Spanish approval of its fibrinogen (https://www.eleconomista.es/seleccion-ee/noticias/14014943/09/26/grifols-avanza-en-un-mercado-de-700-millones-tras-el-aval-espanol-a-su-fibrinogeno.html)

 

 

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