En ce début d'année, les pare-feu contre les fake news et contre la haine sur les plateformes des médias sociaux sont en train de tomber. Et avec l'entrée en fonction du nouveau-ancien président américain, des temps hallucinantes nous menacent. Tout cela au détriment de la santé de beaucoup.
Ces jours-ci, meta, la société mère de Facebook et d'Instagram, fait parler d'elle parce qu'elle va supprimer son système de fact-checking. Elle réduit ainsi le pare-feu contre la propagation de mensonges et de haine sur ses plateformes de réseaux sociaux. Parallèlement, le 20 janvier débutera le deuxième mandat du président américain Donald Trump, dont les discours et les déclarations hallucinantes et dénuées de tout fondement factuel nous accompagneront à nouveau pendant quatre ans.
La coopération internationale en matière de santé nous a appris l'importance d'une information fiable pour la population – et les conséquences fatales que peut avoir la diffusion de la haine et de fausses informations sur la santé physique et mentale. Le fait que, dans le cadre du traité de l'OMS sur les pandémies, les gouvernements soient invités à lutter contre la désinformation en cas d'épidémie est tout à fait logique. Il ne s'agit pas d'une politique de pouvoir d'un obscur gouvernement mondial de la santé, comme l'ont diffusé certains médias en Suisse, mais d'un large consensus des sciences de la santé.
En tant que réseau Medicus Mundi Suisse, nous considérons que notre responsabilité est tout à fait engagée. Dans notre nouveau concept de communication, nous retenons comme l'un des principes de base que « MMS s'engage à une communication crédible qui ne propage pas de fausses nouvelles ». Cela concerne les travaux rédactionnels de notre revue spécialisée, le MMS Bulletin, ainsi que, bien sûr, les messages MMS que vous avez sous les yeux. Et bien sûr, cela concerne aussi tout ce que nous diffusons via les réseaux sociaux.
Meta n'est pas la seule entreprise de l'industrie des réseaux sociaux à se soustraire à ses responsabilités. Pour des raisons commerciales et politiques, beaucoup de ces entreprises se moquent des conséquences néfastes de leurs produits et de leurs activités sur la santé. En ce début d'année, il convient donc d'aborder les déterminants commerciaux de la santé, un domaine que MMS suivra de plus près cette année.
Martin Leschhorn Strebel
Réseau Medicus Mundi Suisse
E-Mail
"La tuberculose est la maladie infectieuse la plus meurtrière au monde et la tuberculose multirésistante (TB-MR) constitue une menace particulière pour la santé mondiale. Une étude menée par l’Institut Tropical et de Santé Publique Suisse (Swiss TPH) montre que la résistance au nouveau régime de traitement de la tuberculose multirésistante récemment recommandé par l'Organisation mondiale de la santé se propage déjà entre les patients. Les résultats, publiés hier dans le prestigieux New England Journal of Medicine, soulignent le besoin urgent d'améliorer la surveillance et le contrôle des infections afin de contrer l'augmentation de la résistance aux antibiotiques."
"L'Institut Tropical et de Santé Publique Suisse (Swiss TPH), en collaboration avec l’Organisation mondiale de la Santé (OMS) et d’autres partenaires, a mené une étude complète de la maladie de Chagas en Suisse. Bien qu'elle soit généralement présente en Amérique latine, la maladie de Chagas touche entre 2 000 et 4 000 personnes en Suisse. L'étude, publiée hier dans la revue « Swiss Medical Weekly », souligne la nécessité d'améliorer les stratégies de dépistage et de soins pour éliminer cette maladie en Suisse."
"Les personnes handicapées sont lourdement impactées par les crises humanitaires, que ce soient les conflits armés ou les catastrophes climatiques. Elles ont plus de difficultés à s’en protéger et sont souvent les laissées pour compte de l’aide humanitaire fournie. En 2023, à travers nos actions dans 15 crises, notamment à Gaza et en Ukraine, nous veillons à inclure les personnes handicapées dans notre assistance."
"Lara, âgée de 8 ans, a une paralysie cérébrale. Elle vit l'expérience terrifiante de la guerre. Depuis l'escalade de la violence entre Israël et le Hamas, au moins 41'615 Palestiniens ont été tués et environ 96’359 auraient été blessés à Gaza par les bombardements continus des forces israéliennes. L’offensive israélienne fait suite à l'attaque massive menée par le Hamas, le 7 octobre, au cours de laquelle 1’200 Israéliens ont été tués, et 240 Israéliens et ressortissants étrangers ont été pris en otage."
"En Novembre 2024, le ministère de la Santé du Burkina Faso, en collaboration avec le ministère de la Transition numérique, des Postes et Communications numériques, a officiellement lancé une nouvelle application mobile en faveur de la santé infantile intitulée « Mon enfant grandit ». Développée avec le soutien d’Enfants du Monde et ses partenaires, l’application renforce l'autonomie des parents en proposant des conseils adaptés sur la nutrition, l’éveil, la sécurité, ainsi que des informations sur les soins de santé courants et d’urgence. Accessible en téléchargement sur Google Play, elle est simple d’utilisation, gratuite, sans publicité, et disponible en plusieurs langues locales avec une option vocale. Dans un pays où 48 % des enfants de moins de cinq ans sont exposés à un risque de développement insuffisant, cette application a le potentiel de contribuer à la survie, la croissance et au développement de 1,7 million de jeunes enfants au Burkina Faso."
"Le 12 janvier 2010, un séisme d’une magnitude de 7.3 tue plus de 280'000 personnes, en blesse 300'000 et détruit des millions de maisons ainsi que près de 60 % des infrastructures de santé. Médecins du Monde rend hommage à toutes les personnes affectées de près ou de loin par la catastrophe, revient sur ses actions et alerte sur une crise humanitaire aussi violente que le séisme et en constante aggravation. Quinze ans après le séisme, Haïti fait face à une spirale de violence continue qui s’ajoute aux multiples défis sanitaires, humanitaires et sécuritaires qui sévissent dans le pays."
"Global health is fundamentally about shared, universal values—the human rights-based framework. These values underpin the very concept of the ‘global’ of global health, distinguishing it from the technical, disease-control focus of the old “international health.” Technical solutions, while vital, are merely tools to realise the foundational rights that ensure equity and dignity in health. Without this the normative values-based approach of equity and rights, decisions about who receives care risk being driven by wealth, political alignment, or cultural affinity. It will destroy global health.(...) The challenge ahead is monumental. Defenders of global health must rally around its core principle: universal human rights support wellbeing."
What do you do when you find yourself on a melting iceberg? Build a boat.
"Icebergs melt slowly, deceiving us with their appearance of stability. Dial-up internet, with all its whirring and beeping, was a melting iceberg: Even after the advent of broadband, it took more than a decade before this clearly inferior technology effectively disappeared. “Old Aid,” as I termed it in my 2019 book “The Business of Changing the World,” is much the same. Even the fiercest defenders of international cooperation have long been frustrated with the project-based, risk-averse, bureaucratic approach endemic to development and humanitarian institutions."
Key factors raising new challenges and likely to worsen lives for millions in crisis hotspots over the coming year.
"Our editors have identified some of the key trends likely to drive up levels of humanitarian need in 2025 – a year in which UN agencies and the world’s largest aid organisations have pared back their ambitions due to funding shortfalls. This list draws on our extensive in-depth reporting, which features interviews with researchers, aid workers, and policymakers, as well as with people and communities working to rebuild their lives in the midst of conflicts and disasters."
There’s little reason to expect a period of calm
"Here we are, on the cusp of the midway point in a decade that has been, in global health and infectious diseases terms, a lot. The 2020s started with the most severe pandemic since the 1918 Spanish flu. Just as the worst of Covid-19 was starting to ease, the world was introduced to mpox, a cousin of smallpox that went from occasionally infecting people who had contact with infected rodents in forested parts of West and Central Africa to spreading from person to person in Europe, the Americas, and beyond, mainly via sex. In 2024, bird flu became cow flu, or moo flu, as some researchers like to refer to it. Between outbreaks in dairy cows, outbreaks in poultry operations, and outbreaks in wild birds, the amount of H5N1 virus in the environment has reached unsettling levels."
How the EU must act to survive mounting global threats
"At the beginning of December, as the new European Commission began its tenure, a meeting was held in Valle d’Aosta, Italy, organised by the publication Le Grand Continent, which focuses on Europe and its future. This gathering offered an opportunity to evaluate the main challenges facing the continent as 2025 approaches. The mood, however, was decidedly grim. (...) In a world shaped by Trump and Putin, the European Union has no future unless it rebuilds its relationships with the ‘global South’. Unlike the United States, which can afford an inward-looking approach due to its vast resources and relatively few neighbouring countries, the EU cannot isolate itself."
Opinion by Ilona Kickbusch and Rick A. Bright
"In 2023, a disturbing milestone was reached: six out of nine planetary boundaries were crossed, signalling an unprecedented threat to Earth's stability. Simultaneously, the world grappled with a relentless series of disease outbreaks—Ebola, dengue, Zika, covid-19, Mpox, and Nipah. This convergence of crises is not coincidental. As Tulio de Oliveira, a leading genomics expert, warns, “Over half of known pathogen outbreaks will increase due to climate change.” The message is clear: our planet's health and human health are inextricably linked, demanding an urgent, integrated response."
"In Global Health 2050, the Lancet Commission on Investing in Health concludes that dramatic improvements in human welfare are achievable by mid-century with focused health investments. By 2050, countries that choose to do so could reduce by 50% the probability of premature death in their populations—ie, the probability of dying before age 70 years—from the levels in 2019. We call this goal 50 by 50. The interventions that enable achieving the goal of 50 by 50 should also reduce morbidity and disability at all ages. (...) To achieve the 50-by-50 goal, action focusing on 15 priority conditions is required. In countries that have a high probability of premature death, infectious diseases and maternal conditions are the highest priority. Seven clusters of non-communicable diseases and injuries among the 15 priority conditions are important in all countries, and addressing them will be central to achieving 50 by 50 in most countries with a low probability of premature death."
Une contribution d'Eva Schmassmann, Plateforme Agenda 2030
"Dix ans se sont écoulés depuis l’entrée en vigueur de l’Agenda 2030, un plan global avec des objectifs couvrant tous les aspects du développement durable. L’objectif : assurer une bonne qualité de vie partout dans le monde. Et ce d’ici 2030. Ce qui semblait encore loin est maintenant imminent. Alors, quelles étapes clés sont prévues en 2025 pour la Suisse et l’ONU ?"
"In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic many countries lack sufficient funds to attain the targets of Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG3). Therefore, it is high time to revisit the financing goal for a solidarity-based international contribution for health set in 2001. A new calculation is needed. The COVID-19 pandemic not only triggered an unprecedented health crisis but also caused USD 13.8 trillion in economic damage, making it the most significant global economic crisis in a century. To address the health challenges and economic fallout, many countries incurred significant debt, compounding issues for those with already low incomes."
In Las Vegas schwärmen alle von KI-Robotern und sprechenden Spiegeln. Doch abseits des Tech-Glamours der Fachmesse CES deutet sich noch eine andere Revolution an.
"Las Vegas während der Consumer Electronics Show 2025 – ein schillernder Ort, der so viele Eindrücke bietet, wie die Teppiche in den Casinos Muster haben. Von abstrakten Formen bis zu schreiend bunten Farben. Diese Eindrücke spiegelt auch die CES wider, die nicht nur die neuesten Technologien, sondern auch so manche Kuriositäten zur Schau stellt. (...) Die CES ist ein Ort der Extreme: von bahnbrechenden Technologien bis hin zu spielerischen Ideen, die vielleicht nie den Massenmarkt erreichen. Doch hinter all dem Glamour und der Innovation lauern auch Fragen nach der Zukunft. Welche Technologien werden unser Leben prägen? Und könnte eine Innovation, die auf den ersten Blick unscheinbar erscheint, wichtiger sein als die omnipräsente KI? Die Rede ist von GLP-1-Medikamenten."
Bulletin MMS #171 décembre 2024
Le vieillissement de la population est une grande tendance mondiale qui comporte des défis mais aussi des opportunités. Entre 2000 et 2050, la part des personnes âgées de 60 ans et plus dans la population mondiale va doubler, tandis que celle des personnes âgées de 80 ans et plus va presque quadrupler. Dans le premier rapport d'avancement de la Décennie des Nations unies pour le vieillissement en bonne santé, publié en 2023, l'OMS et ses organisations partenaires des Nations unies ont constaté que moins d'un tiers des pays disposaient de ressources suffisantes pour mettre en œuvre les objectifs de cette Décennie. Dans ce bulletin MMS, nous nous penchons sur le vieillissement, ses implications et ses différentes dimensions.
Tufts University analysis highlights rise in global health inequalities, with fastest growth in linked diseases in Africa
"Sugary drinks are responsible for more than 2.2m new cases of diabetes and 1.1m new cases of heart disease a year around the world, according to a new study. Global analysis published in Nature Medicine on Monday highlights growing health inequalities. In Latin America and the Caribbean, sugary drinks contributed to almost a quarter (24%) of new type 2 diabetes cases in 2020. In sub-Saharan Africa, the region that has seen the greatest percentage increase in cases from 1990 to 2020, sugary drinks led to more than one in five (21%) new diabetes cases and more than one in 10 (11%) new cases of heart disease."
"As the first African country to lead the trillion-dollar G20 group, South Africa will spend 2025 pushing debt relief, climate change and international justice issues. This means there's a lot at stake for Brics and developing nations. "We will work towards solidarity, equality and sustainable development that will have an impact on many people around the world," President Cyril Ramaphosa said in his New Year address last night. "Every South African will be part of the journey towards a better future for all." Pretoria aims to put African development priorities firmly on the G20 agenda - and more broadly, those of the Global South."
"The debt disaster is back. Indeed, the aid agency Cafod reports that developing countries today face “the most acute debt crisis in history”. At least 54 countries are in a debt crisis – more than double the number in 2010. A further 57 countries are at risk of debt crisis. In the past decade, interest payments for developing countries overall have risen by 64%, and for Africa by 132%. African countries are paying over 100 billion dollars a year to creditors. The share of African countries’ budgets going on debt payments is four times higher than in 2010."
"Sudan’s war, which began in April 2023, is closing in on its second year. No one expects or becomes accustomed to war, but it is striking that the most common sentiment I hear among Sudanese people – and even some outside observers – is that they still can’t believe this is happening."
"The destruction of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza has pushed healthcare to the brink of collapse, as freezing temperatures and ongoing Israeli attacks kill more Palestinians. “Kamal Adwan Hospital is no more,” stated Dr. Mustafa Barghouti during a webinar organized by the People’s Health Movement (PHM) on December 28, 2024. As he spoke, reports of the latest Israeli attacks on the hospital were still emerging. These included the near-total destruction of its laboratory, storage, surgical units, and other critical facilities, alongside the arbitrary detention of its director, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya."
"Effective global action against antimicrobial resistance (AMR) relies on the successful synthesis and translation of rigorous scientific evidence into policy and practice. Despite a call in 2019 by the Interagency Coordination Group on AMR to establish a policy-science interface, and the reaffirmation to establish a scientific panel in the 2024 Political Declaration on Antimicrobial Resistance, no authoritative entity currently exists that synthesizes the scientific evidence on AMR and outlines policy options based on the best scientific insight. A Scientific Panel on Evidence for Action against AMR (SPEA) could address this gap, as well as contribute to additional governance gaps in the space of AMR, by facilitating better global coordination and cooperation; establishing real-time evidence to guide policy actions; and monitoring progress towards any globally agreed upon AMR goals and targets."
"Health care is changing rapidly. Hospitals are, and will remain, an essential setting to deliver it. We discuss how to maximise the benefits of hospitals in the future in different geographic and health system settings, highlighting a series of cross-cutting issues. We do this by exploring the evolving roles of hospitals and the main factors that we must consider as they adapt. These include changing population and disease profiles, the impact of evolving technology, and new concepts in hospital design and planning."
"Medication shortages are a pressing concern throughout the world. To gain insight into this issue, WHO and Health Action International (HAI) have constructed a validated method to survey medicine prices, availability, and affordability in low-income and middle-income countries. This paper aims to present an updated analysis of medicine affordability, availability, and pricing across 54 countries using the WHO–HAI method, highlighting disparities between public and private sectors. (...) Access to essential medicines remains a global challenge. Medicines consistently display high prices, low affordability, and poor availability. Although there have been some advancements, the overall accessibility of essential medicines remains a substantial global concern. Innovative and targeted strategies are essential to enhance access, requiring a concerted effort from governments, health-care organisations, and international bodies to implement solutions that address both economic and logistical barriers."
"Health care-associated infections (HAIs) affect patients and health systems every day, causing immense suffering, driving higher health-care costs and hampering efforts to achieve high-quality care for all. HAIs are often difficult to treat, are the major driver of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and cause premature deaths and disability. The COVID-19 pandemic, as well as outbreaks of Ebola, Marburg and mpox are the most dramatic demonstrations of how pathogens can spread rapidly and be amplified in health care settings. But HAIs are a daily threat in every hospital and clinic, not only during epidemics and pandemics"
“Eco-anxiety” is growing worldwide, especially among young people.1 Considerable anxiety about the climate crisis is rational, particularly for young people, for whom even 2100 is a tangible date. Deep concern for future human and ecological wellbeing is justified among all ages, not only because of the disturbing evidence of climate breakdown, but also because of the apparent climate change policy paralysis, especially in so-called developed countries—the global North."
"Gender impacts exposure and vulnerability to tuberculosis (TB) evidenced by a higher prevalence of both TB disease and missed TB diagnoses among men, who significantly contribute to new TB infections. We present the formative research phase of a study, which used participatory methods to identify gender-specific interventions for systematic screening of TB among men in Uganda. Health facility-level data were collected at four Ugandan general hospitals (Kawolo, Gombe, Mityana and Nakaseke) among 70 TB stakeholders, including healthcare workers, TB survivors, policymakers and researchers. Using health-seeking pathways, they delineated and compared men’s ideal and actual step-by-step TB health-seeking processes to identify barriers to TB care."
"A global workshop has taken place in Macao Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China (Macao SAR) involving health practitioners and policymakers from 11 countries and areas. The workshop aimed to help build critical skills for supporting access to safe, high quality traditional medicines through health-care systems. (...) The workshop addressed a wide range of topics including ensuring safety and quality, developing effective policy frameworks, strengthening education and training for practitioners, and enhancing service delivery. These discussions supported WHO’s objectives under the Fourteenth General Programme of Work and laid the groundwork for the upcoming WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034."
"Two decades ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) formulated its working definition of sexual health as more than just the absence of disease, underscoring the need for a positive approach to sexuality that recognizes its link with human rights and power dynamics. This definition includes the notion that sexual health is fundamentally tied to empowerment, whereby individuals can make informed decisions related to their sexuality, including having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences. Yet, such an affirmative approach is far from true for many women and girls globally, as their sexuality remains a sociocultural and political battleground."
"Contraceptive equity describes the ability of every person to make their own decisions about pregnancy prevention and have access to contraceptive care that consequently influences maternal and child health outcomes. In this context, reducing socioeconomic inequalities in contraceptive access is paramount. In The Lancet Global Health, Carolina Cardona and colleagues examined data from the Demographic Health Surveys of 48 countries to assess changes in socioeconomic inequalities in modern contraceptive prevalence (mCPR) and demand for family planning satisfied with modern methods (mDFPS)."
"The COVID-19 pandemic exposed significant weaknesses in global health governance, leading to urgent calls for reform. A key element of these reforms is negotiating a Pandemic Agreement under the auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO). Negotiations began in late 2021, with the initial goal of finalising the agreement by May 2024. However, this timeline proved too ambitious, and WHO Member States decided instead to extend the negotiations by up to one year. This outcome reflects the inherent challenges of crafting a new and far-reaching instrument covering the entire spectrum of pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response (PPPR). The draft agreement includes diverse and complex provisions on prevention and surveillance, research and development, technology transfer for health products, regulatory enhancements, and a system for the timely sharing of pathogens and related benefits."
"This is a statement on behalf of 32 CSOs across WHO regions, and with 8 or more participating in this meeting, either online or in person. As CSOs, we are usually delighted to see more text getting greened—indicating progress towards a meaningful instrument with effective measures to protect public health and avoid past tragedies. However, this time, there is no excitement. Many diplomats tell us this will be a hollow treaty, with the current text resembling a “green cloth with big holes.” We have several critical questions for Member States, and we expect their responses."
"In 2019, world leaders committed to extend universal health coverage (UHC) to everyone by 2030. Whilst most countries have increased access to essential health services, the goal of UHC remains elusive for around half of the world’s population, particularly those living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Innovative approaches are urgently needed to accelerate countries’ progress towards achieving UHC goals. (...) In this special collection of Oxford Open Digital Health coordinated by Transform Health, we present papers that present new evidence and rigorous evaluations of the (positive or negative) impact of digital health interventions and approaches in expanding the accessibility, affordability and quality of health services in LMICs."
Geneva Global Health Hub (G2H2) "This coming 2025 – amidst political turmoil and concerning geopolitical scenarios – prospects to be a challenging year for civil society organizations worldwide. To ensure that health-related human rights are not overlooked neither at the international negotiating tables nor at the local level, civil society must engage in constant and persistent advocacy and use its boldest voice in every forum. Ahead of the 156th session of the WHO Executive Board, this series of G2H2 policy debates offers a platform for civil society to remind everyone what are the “matters that matter” to us and why particular attention should be given to them."
Geneva Graduate Institute - Global Health Centre "Access to pathogen data and the equitable sharing of related benefits have garnered significant attention across various international fora. At the 2024 Conference of the Parties (COP) in Colombia, State Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) decided that companies "directly or indirectly" benefiting from Digital Sequence Information (DSI) should contribute 1% of profits or 0.1% of revenue to the newly established Cali Fund. In parallel, negotiations on a Pandemic Agreement have been progressing over the past three years, with the establishment of the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) System emerging as one of the most contentious issues. (...) This webinar will provide an opportunity to discuss its significance for PABS and explore possible links between the two instruments."
Club suisse de la presse "Quel impact aura l’élection de Donald Trump sur la Genève internationale ? La capitale des droits de l’homme sera-t-elle une cible dans le combat du nouveau président des États-Unis contre le système multilatéral, porté par son slogan « America First » ?" Avec la participation de - Charles Adams, Ancien ambassadeur des Etats-Unis, avocat à Genève; - Stéphane Bussard, Journaliste, Le Temps; - Daniel Warner, Politologue américano-suisse."
Medicus Mundi Schweiz Traditional medicine, a medical practice based on culturally specific traditional knowledge and beliefs, directly or indirectly influences the implementation of network members' health programmes. It can prove to be an obstacle in the implementation of projects and programmes, or it can help to strengthen them. This MMS Round Table offers the opportunity to discuss the potential, but also the limitations of the inclusion of traditional medicine and to get to know the Urssimone Wietlisbach Foundation. Registration: mleschhorn@medicusmundi.ch
Graduate Institute - Global Health Centre Geneva "The alarming attacks on women’s rights in multilateral spaces, including at the World Health Organization (WHO) and other UN institutions, signal a disturbing escalation in the global attempt to undermine women’s role in societies. From the denial of sexual and reproductive rights to the weaponisation of women’s bodies in conflict zones, from the widespread violence against women to the brutal scenario of gender apartheid, patriarchal forces are relentlessly targeting the agency and freedom of women and girls worldwide. We are talking about a full-scale assault. At this critical conjuncture, join us to challenge this mounting wave of regression. We need you to be part of a conversation that aims to transcend borders and bring everyone together to stop the pushback on all women’s rights."