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7 days in healthcare (March 7th-12th, 2023)

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Summary

From the point of view of Biomedicine, the geneticist Francisco J Ayala, one of the great Spaniards of science, with important contributions in the field of the human genome and other diseases, dies. Some obscure episodes, not fully clarified, pointed to him as a target of the “me too” initiatives. It is increasingly clear that gene therapies will soon explode and will be useful in multiple hematological, cardiac, ocular, muscular and even neurodegenerative processes. An ethical reflection is essential, which ensures, on the one hand, that these treatments are accessible, and, on the other, the limits of these treatments. It seems that we are closer to having specific treatments against fatty liver, a serious disease responsible for tens of thousands of deaths.

As regards Global Health, young people, including adolescents, with gender dysphoria are growing all over the world. There is no accepted professional consensus on how to approach these situations. It seems increasingly clear that inequality in the face of covid vaccines responsible for thousands of deaths from this disease. Although there is no absolute consensus, it seems increasingly clear that smartphones and social networks are responsible for serious mental health problems among young people. 24/7 access to these technologies minimizes face-to-face contact between young people.

Regarding International Health Policy, the WHO maintains the covid as a “health emergency of international concern”. In the United States, the budget presented by Biden – which will not be approved – proposes a significant increase in funds for Medicare. Problems continue for the Walgreens pharmacy chain for not selling abortion pills in 21 states. The USA plans to eliminate hepatitis C, almost a decade after highly effective therapies for this disease appeared. Concern in the United Kingdom about the interruption of the improvement in life expectancy for a decade, before the covid, contrary to what is happening in France or Denmark, for example. Australia is preparing to tackle a health reform, after the preparation of an independent report, a model that could well be inspiring for Spain. Newsweek magazine publishes its well-known ranking of the best hospitals in the world. The Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, and the Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, considered the best hospitals in the world. Among the first hundred there are 6 Spaniards, all of them public, except one private: the Clínica Universidad de Navarra (CUN).

If we talk about National Health Policy (Spain), in terms of covid, the accumulated incidence continues to rise slightly, with a fairly high mortality (139 patients in one week). In Castilla y León, the health areas will have access to a team on rare diseases. Serious concerns among psychiatrists about the large increase in cases of gender dysphoria. The actors in the cyber attack on the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona request a ransom of 4.5 million dollars, which the Administration refuses to deliver. Some Catalan doctors are organized to attend only in Catalan, something against repeated court rulings and the Generalitat’s own protocols.

At the Corporate level, at the international level, investors are rubbing their hands at the prospects of big business in anti-obesity drugs. Morgan Stanley has quantified what this can mean in billions of dollars worldwide. Pfizer places its vaccine against covid as the drug with the highest income in the world. At the national level, Quirón reaches an agreement with the City Council for the construction of its hospital in Gijón and Hospitén announces the construction of a new hospital in Madrid with a large investment of 160 million euros. Thus, the boom in new private hospitals continues, for which there is a real race in which several actors participate (Quirón, Viamed, Vithas, Hospitén, Imed, and others). Hipra will return aid to the covid vaccine in ten years.

Biomedicine

Global Health

International Health Policy

  • Best hospitals in the world
    • Newsweek magazine publishes its traditional ranking of the best hospitals in the world. The first three are: the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, and the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Among the first 100 are 6 Spanish hospitals: La Paz, (53); Barcelona Clinic (62); October 12 (72); Vall d’Hebrón (83), Gregorio Marañón (90) and the CUN (97) (https://www.newsweek.com/rankings/worlds-best-hospitals-2023)

National health policy

Companies

7 days in healthcare (February 27th-March 5th, 2023)

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Summary

From the point of view of Biomedicine, The Economist celebrates medicines against obesity as a great revolution, at a particularly opportune moment, since the WHO is continually warning of the global epidemic of this disease. Psychedelics appear to be making their way into treatments for mental illness. The WHO is working on a new vaccine against bird flu, fearing that this virus will “jump” to humans, which already seems to have occurred in Asia.

With regard to Global Health, the change of management in two entities such as the World Bank and Gavi, very promising. In this last body, for the first time, the representative of a country receiving aid (Nigeria) occupies the maximum responsibility. Solutions are sought for the global shortage of certain medicines. There may be many causes, but it seems that the concentration of production in the geographic area of India and China may be at the root of the logistical problems.

As for International Health Policy, in the United States the battle for abortion, after the ruling of the American Supreme Court, is even transferred to abortion pills, which are trying to be banned in certain states. In the United Kingdom, pharmaceutical companies ask the Government for a tax cut, something that the Government does not seem willing to grant. In Canada, certain establishments are authorized to sell cocaine, in an attempt, we’ll see if it’s effective, to curb overdose problems. Two new clinics for LGBT patients open in Tel-Aviv.

If we talk about National Health Policy (Spain), in terms of covid, the accumulated incidence continues to rise slightly, with a fairly high mortality (around 100 patients a week). The medical conflict continues in several autonomous communities, but with special virulence in Madrid, where there is even a possible strike by hospital doctors, which would be a very important qualitative change. A group of Catalan healthcare workers resorts to the Government’s call to demand Catalan to be able to run for office, where had that bilingualism left off? The Amancio Ortega Foundation donates 30 million for the construction of the first pediatric palliative care center, which will be open to children from all Spanish communities. Despite how hard it is, there are children who are going to die and who are known to die. Those are the recipients of that center. Extremadura reaches an agreement with BIOSIM to promote biosimilars through profit-sharing programs. The wide diffusion of generics and biosimilars, critical for the permanent incorporation of innovation. Great presence at the Barcelona Mobile Fair of health technology, mainly surgical robots and telemedicine solutions.

In the field of companies, at the international level, BioNTech will open a center of excellence in mRNA technology in Israel. In Spain, Grifols takes full control of the biotech company Access Biologicals.

Biomedicine

Global Health

International Health Policy

  • COVID

National health policy

Companies