Posts

7 days in healthcare (April 10th-16th, 2023)

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Summary

From the point of view of Biomedicine, this week marked the 20th anniversary of the completion (later it turned out not completely) of the Human Genome Project, whose results were presented on April 14, 2003. A project that revolutionized biology and Medicine. Many of the treatments that are now in sight, such as gene editing, or the screening of certain diseases come from the progress of that project.

As far as Global Health is concerned, the criminalization of suicide (considering suicide attempts as a crime subject to fines or imprisonment) is still in force in more than 20 countries. Not so many years ago suicide attempts were decriminalized in advanced societies, as recently as 1966 in England or 1993 in Ireland. Clearly, what these suicidal individuals need is care and treatment.

As for International Health Policy, the United States continues to have problems with the Supreme Court’s decision to annul the FDA’s authorization of an abortion pill, a measure that was later put on hold. The crisis in the British NHS continues, with two important strikes called: nurses and junior doctors.

If we talk about National Health Policy (Spain), the incidence of covid has grown slightly in the last week. Medical and health conflicts continue in various autonomous communities: the Valencian Community, Galicia, the Canary Islands, Madrid and Andalusia. Great news, if confirmed, the arrival of the first publicly funded biomarkers on the SNS. It will start with those related to oncology. A breakthrough in precision medicine. Initiative from Aragon for a debate on health that is intended to be held at the Conference of Presidents. Although everything that represents a debate on health in the highest instances is positive, the lack of ambition of the document proposed from Aragon is truly surprising, where neither the care model nor the management model nor the personnel policy (except in what refers to the planning of professionals), nor many other very relevant things. A real disappointment the document of the Aragonese initiative. The central government supports the Spanish covid vaccine, buying 3.2 million vaccines. FENIN makes some interesting proposals, closely linked to healthcare technology, before the new legislature that is looming.

In the field of Companies, at the international level, KKR promotes the merger of IVI and General Life, to give rise to an infertility giant. At the national level, the creditors of Dentix, a former network of dental clinics, now defunct, accuse KKR of the bankruptcy of this company.

Biomedicine

Global Health

International Health Policy

National health policy

  • FENIN petitions
    • FENIN prepares some requests with 10 points for the new legislature, among them a stable regulatory environment, digital transformation of the SNS, public purchase based on value and the renewal of the health technology park (https://www.fenin.es/resources/press-notes/1011)

Companies

7 days in healthcare (6th-12th June, 2022)

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Summary

From the point of view of biomedicine, the article in the journal Cell stands out, in which MIT researchers design a complete functional map of genes in human cells. Also the possibilities of liquid biopsy, which will make it possible to diagnose cancers at an early stage through a simple blood test. It is also necessary to highlight the controversy over the transmission of monkeypox, some say that the transmission could be aerial, while the CDC denies it. This is important in terms of vaccination strategy.

As far as Global Health is concerned, the humanitarian problems of the Ukraine war should be highlighted, which will not only be local but global.

Regarding international health policy, it is worth highlighting the Health Affairs article that shows that mortality from covid is higher in counties with a Republican vote than in those with a Democratic vote. Incredible conclusion, although this can be explained by a greater rejection of masks, social distance and vaccination in Republican environments. Health and its preventive orientation declared a priority by Macron. We will see what this translates into in practice.

If we talk about national health policy (Spain), it should be mentioned that 15 new CAR-T centers are approved in several hospitals. Impressive and accurate title of a talk by Rafael Bengoa: “SNS: 500,000 competent professionals in an incompetent model.” It rightly puts the emphasis on management and organization. This contrasts with the poverty and lack of news and prioritization of the programs of both the PP and the PSOE in the Andalusian elections. The PP program introduces the nonsense of making the 9,000 hired by the public health companies statutory, one of the successes of the PSOE in health. As for the PSOE program, it is a very long program, without any prioritization, and full of reflections against collaboration with the private sector, as if the so-called “privatization” were the problem of the system.

At the corporate level, the promising advances of BioNTech in pancreatic cancer and AstraZeneca-Daiichi in breast cancer should be noted.

Biomedicine

Global Health

International health policy

National health policy

Companies