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7 days in healthcare (February 20th-26th, 2023)

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Summary

From the point of view of Biomedicine, perhaps the most striking thing is that it is the 90th anniversary of the first transplant in humans, which took place in Kherson (Ukraine), a city that is so topical today due to the Russian invasion. It was a kidney transplant to a 26-year-old woman.

As regards Global Health, an important report on maternal mortality published by the United Nations. There is no decrease in frequency in recent years. Globally, 800 maternal deaths occur every day, a staggering figure. Cholera emerges globally, with outbreaks already in 30 countries, which indicates serious problems in water management and in the sanitary and hygienic conditions of the population.

Regarding International Health Policy, it seems that, despite the large outbreak of covid that occurred in China, after the abandonment of the covid-zero policy, this has not generated new variants of the virus. In the United Kingdom, conflicts persist in the NHS, with junior doctors joining the strikes. Important division in Colombia before the new health reform promoted by President Petro.

If we talk about National Health Policy (Spain), the cumulative incidence of covid continues to rise slightly, although mortality is decreasing. The medical conflict continues, both in Madrid and in other communities. The cost of putting a personal assistant to each Primary Care doctor is evaluated: 505 million euros. It’s a lot of money, but it’s possibly part of the solution. The pharmaceutical sector, with a large rise in 2022, consolidates as a large export sector in Spain.

At the Business level, internationally, Apple about to develop a smart watch that can detect blood glucose level, which can change diabetes management. Big Pharma is resisting at the international level that patents are expiring and giving way to generics, as reported by the Financial Times. It seems that Fresenius is going to concentrate on the area of hospitals and generics. In principle, the rumors of the possible sale of Quirón and the preparation of several private equity companies for this operation are dissipated. In Spain, significant increase in sales of Korian, Quirón and Asisa. BUPA and Mapfre alliance to sell certain insurance in some Latin American countries.

Biomedicine

Global Health

International Health Policy

National health policy

Companies

 

 

7 days in healthcare (December 26th, 2022-January 1st, 2023)

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Summary

From the point of view of Biomedicine, it is worth noting the ambitious project of the United Kingdom “Our Future Health”, which aims to place this country at the forefront of genomic research, and which seeks to carry out genetic analyzes of 5 million adult British volunteers, then looking at the correlation with lifestyles and medical records. Undoubtedly, this project will allow us to advance a lot in the knowledge of a wide variety of diseases.

With regard to Global Health, great concern in the world, since the large number of cases in China increase the probability that new variants will appear. There is no doubt that the covid – which had appeared, artificially or naturally, in China – has entered a new phase in which the epicenter is once again China.

Regarding International Health Policy, countries are preparing to put control measures at airports and borders against travelers from China, although the ECDC sees this type of control as unfounded and the EU has not adopted a common policy. Joschka Fischer (former – German Foreign Minister) publishes an in-depth article, whose conclusion is that, in contrast to what had previously been said that authoritarian regimes that do not depend on public opinion can impose drastic and effective measures in crisis situations such as covid, experience has shown that liberal democracies are more effective than autocracies in dealing with these situations. Great controversy in the European Union over the claim of the pharmaceutical industry to agree to produce new antibiotics, under the condition of increasing the patent term of certain drugs.

If we talk about National Health Policy (Spain), Spain has approved airport control measures to control travelers from China, which will be in force between December 31, 2022 and February 15, 2023. Primary Care doctors have opposed the hiring of doctors without MIR training, since this seems more like an opportunistic measure than addressing the underlying problems of Primary Care. The central government, so little fond of publishing and preparing expert analyzes on the covid management, instead presents a self-assessment on its management. According to this report “Cumpliendo” (“Fulfilling”) 64% of the health promises have already been fulfilled and 35% are in process. Bearing in mind that none of the structural healthcare problems have been addressed (personnel regime, management model, governance, accessibility and waiting lists, etc.) this self-assessment seems to us grated on complacency and even propaganda. Unless the promises -which are said to have been fulfilled- have nothing to do with the real problems of the sector. An interesting initiative from the private sector through the IDIS Foundation, which announces the start-up of a pilot on interoperability, should be highlighted. The fact that companies that compete with each other -both from the insurance and provisioning fields- agree on the interoperability of medical records is something that deserves to be highlighted.

In the field of Companies, the American Congress has taken an unusual decision: criticize the FDA for its inadequate collaboration with Biogen for the approval of the drug against Alzheimer’s. At the national level, Atrys continues its growth, both in Spain and abroad (United Kingdom, Middle East and Latin America).

Biomedicine

Global Health

International Health Policy

National health policy

Companies