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7 days in healthcare (May 29th-June 4th, 2023)

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Summary

From the point of view of Biomedicine, it is worth noting the death of the virologist Harald sur Hausen, whose name will not mean anything to many, but who 50 years ago discovered the relationship between papillomavirus and cervical cancer, initiating studies of the relationship between viruses and cancer. Reading the DNA of a large and highly varied number of primates allows us to better understand what a human person is and the origin of some diseases. An international consortium discovers that the nucleus of cells is metabolically active.

As regards Global Health, The Economist focuses on the decline in global fertility, due to a decrease in births, not an increase in deaths, a fact with great consequences in our societies. The WHO puts a target by means of cheap vaccines to the global vaccination against cervical cancer, which still produces a large number of deaths. The UN warns about the great sources of hunger in the world: Haiti, Mali, Burkina Faso and Sudan.

Regarding International Health Policy, Canada is preparing a regulation that will make it mandatory to carry warnings of negative health effects on each cigarette. The EU finalizes a regulation to remunerate plasma donations. The WHO celebrates the 76th World Assembly in Switzerland, in which several topics were discussed, among others, the next UN High-Level meeting on universal health coverage, to be held on September 23.

If we talk about National Health Policy (Spain), the call for early elections for July 23 paralyzes the processing of more than 60 laws in relation to health, including some as important as the Equity Law, the Framework Statute, the Law of the National Agency of Public Health or the Law of Guarantees and Rational Use of Medicines. In the Valencian Community, Mazón (the winning candidate of the PP in that Community and foreseeable new president) announces the freezing of the reversal process of the concessions of Manises, Denia and Elche, which had already started or were planned by the Ximo Puig government. He also doesn’t rule out launching new concessions. The Princess of Asturias Award for International Cooperation, awarded to the non-profit initiative Medicines for Neglected Diseases, which focuses not on rare diseases, but on highly prevalent diseases, especially in underdeveloped countries, such as Chagas disease, dengue fever, kala-azar or river blindness and which are considered to affect around 1,000-1,500 million people in those countries, without any research, industry or commercial effort commensurate with their importance.

In the field of Companies, internationally, China breaks the veto on Western vaccines and will allow Moderna to settle in that country. For its part, AstraZeneca defies geopolitical challenges and intends to grow in China. At the national level, Zurich joins forces with Google and DKV to launch digital health insurance. Quirónsalud intends to grow in telemedicine and closes a contract to serve university students.

Biomedicine

Global Health

International Health Policy

  • France
    • Tobacco use is stable in France, one in four adults smokes daily (https://www.lemonde.fr/sante/article/2023/05/31/avec-un-adulte-sur-quatre-qui-smoke-quotidiennement-le-tabagisme-reste-stable-en-france_6175491_1651302.html#:~:text=Tabac-,Tabac%20%3A%20avec%20un%20adulte%20sur%20quatre%20qui%20fume%20quotidiennement%2C% twenty)
  • Canada
    • Canada is going to require that a warning about the danger be printed on each cigarette, since it has been seen that young people start smoking when they receive the offer not of a pack, but of a cigarette (https://www.lemonde. fr/international/article/2023/05/31/le-canada-va-demiger-qu-un-avertissement-soit-imprime-sur-chaque-cigarette_6175630_3210.html)

National health policy

Companies

 

 

7 days in healthcare (May 1st-7th, 2023)

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Summary

From the point of view of Biomedicine, to point out the interest in certain therapies using viruses that engulf bacteria to address infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Progress continues to be made in breaking the blood-brain barrier, which will make it possible to better treat certain brain tumors, which until now have not been reached by medication.

As regards Global Health, the WHO declares the end of the emergency due to the covid pandemic, although not the covid, which is still with us. Since its inception this disease has caused more than 20 million deaths globally. Gavi reveals his plans for a malaria vaccine, another major global plague.

As for International Health Policy, he has highlighted the rise in the price of tobacco in France (a good measure against smoking), and Australia wants to limit the use of electronic cigarettes. The ECDC brings out an interesting report with the lessons of the pandemic: “More investment, improvement of surveillance systems, improvement of risk communication, community participation and greater participation between countries” could be the summary.

If we talk about National Health Policy (Spain), in the update of the Stability Program 2023-2026, the % of GDP dedicated to public healthcare spending does not change, remaining at 6.9%. It is evident that only increasing spending does not solve the problems of our health system, but it is difficult to see how they can be solved without increasing spending, as the government proposes. The Spanish Association against Cancer, through the mouth of its president, denounces that Spain has the cheapest tobacco in Europe: “the tobacconist of Europe” calls for this situation. Interesting article by Juan Abarca Cidón, who presents a decalogue to avoid the collapse of our health system. The measurements are very clear and direct. It will be possible to qualify or even disagree with some, but there is no doubt that the problems are addressed. Not like the framework programs of the majority parties for the 28-M elections, which seem to try not to raise any suspicion, by saying nothing.

At the Corporate level, at the international level, Lilly presents a new drug that slows down the progression of Alzheimer’s. The birth of a large market linked to Artificial Intelligence in health is in sight, according to the report by Siemens Financial Services. As far as our country is concerned, Cofares reaches a sales record in 2022. Grifols enters the field of leukemia.

Biomedicine

Global Health

International Health Policy

National health policy

  • Interesting article with a decalogue of reforms in our health system
    • Article by Juan Abarca Cidón, the proposals range from a political agreement; increase general spending on health; finalist financing with certain objectives; reduce costs, considering the co-payment; new governance model at all levels; new care organization model with a greater role for nursing; deal with patient problems, such as waiting lists; address the problems of professionals; normalize the activity of the private sector; and promote the Public Health Agency (https://www.elespanol.com/edicion/20230430/decalogo-reformas-evitar-colapso-sanidad/760293970_12.html)

Companies