Latest news with #PublicHealthFrance
Euronews
15-03-2025
- Health
- Euronews
France urges meningitis vaccination amid 'high' number of cases
France is facing a "particularly high" number of meningococcal infections this year, with the country's public health agency urging infants, adolescents, and young adults to get vaccinated to prevent the serious and sometimes deadly illness. Meningococcal infections are caused by bacteria and can lead to meningitis – an infection of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord – and to sepsis. There were 95 cases of the disease in January and 89 cases in February, Public Health France said, adding that this was "well above" what had been observed in previous years. The agency noted there were two clusters of meningococcal group B bacteria, which is the most common, among students at a university in Lyon and among a family and students in Rennes. Vaccination campaigns have been recommended and carried out, particularly among young people, the public health agency said. Last year, there were 615 cases of meningococcal infections in France, the largest amount since 2010. The infections may be linked to the severe flu season, as influenza can increase the risk of getting meningitis, the agency added. Vaccination of infants against meningitis B and against serogroups A, C, W, and Y has been mandatory since the beginning of the year in France. The vaccine for the ACWY serogroups is also recommended for adolescents between the ages of 11 and 14, with a booster up to the age of 24, Public Health France said. Meningitis can cause symptoms such as fever, headache, and a stiff neck, while meningococcal sepsis may lead to a fever, rash, and septic shock, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The ECDC said the disease has a rapid progression and a case fatality rate of between 8 to 15 per cent. Outbreaks are rare but often occur on university campuses or among groups of people. Vaccines are the primary way of preventing infection and antibiotics can be used for treatment, the ECDC added. The European Commission unveiled this week one of its most significant health proposals, the Critical Medicines Act, which aims to enhance the security of supply and availability of essential medicines across the EU. While ambitious in some areas, such as a proposed "Buy European" mechanism and new class of 'common interest' medicines, in other respects it was unspectacular, particularly in coordinating contingency stock. Funding, as so often on health matters, remains a key concern. Euronews highlights the main open questions that still need to be addressed. One of the most talked-about aspects of the proposal is the 'Buy European' principle, which prioritises security of supply over cost in public procurement. Under this new proposed rule, EU contracting authorities will apply procurement requirements favouring suppliers that manufacture a significant portion of critical medicines within the EU. 'This fits perfectly within the limits of what we have already in the EU. This is, after all, an overriding reason of public health because we have a problem with the security of supply,' said EU health Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi. This new approach could expose the EU to international trade discontent. After all, it is not far from Beijing's 'Buy China' policy on medical devices recently openly challenged by the EU as it restricts foreign suppliers, including those from the EU, from government contracts. Earlier this year, the EU executive released a report providing evidence of China's unfair restrictions, arguing that market openness should be reciprocal. If implemented, "Buy European" could put the EU in a similar position—risking retaliation from trade partners and reduced market access abroad. To reduce dependence on non-EU countries, the proposal promotes increased European production of critical medicines as well as the new category of medicines of common interest. But do these drugs need to be manufactured on European soil? According to the new proposal, not really. The Commission plans to strengthen bilateral cooperation and establish new strategic partnerships to ensure diverse sources of supply. 'I very much rely on the candidate countries and countries in our closest neighbourhood who should be in pole position to help us to bring back production in the EU or closer to the EU," said Várhelyi. EU officials have also mentioned potential collaboration with other broader European third countries like the UK and Switzerland, given their strong trade links and proximity. A major shortcoming of the proposal is its limited funding. The indicative budget of €83 million for 2026-2027, primarily from the EU4Health program, is relatively modest. This funding will likely only cover the coordination efforts of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the European Commission, rather than supporting large-scale production shifts. While strategic projects could receive additional funding from EU programs like Horizon Europe and the Digital Europe Programme, it's uncertain whether these resources will be enough. Ahead of the proposal's presentation, 11 EU health ministers called for expanding the scope of EU defence funding to include critical medicines. However, Várhelyi dismissed this idea, emphasising reliance on state aid instead. To facilitate this, the Commission has loosened restrictions on state aid definitions in some new guidelines, encouraging member states to invest their national budgets in this initiative. The proposal includes enhanced mechanisms for joint procurement, with the Commission taking on a stronger role. Traditionally, joint procurement allows the Commission and at least nine Member States to negotiate as a single purchasing bloc, leveraging collective demand for better terms. The new proposal formalises and expands this mechanism, enabling the Commission to act as a central buyer when requested by at least nine member states. Additionally, a Commission-facilitated cross-border procurement model is introduced, where the EU executive provides logistical and administrative support to member states managing their own procurement. This formalisation builds on past Commission-led procurement efforts, such as the purchasing of vaccines for mpox and influenza. One key recommendation from the Critical Medicine Alliance—a stakeholder body analysing supply chain vulnerabilities—was the establishment of a harmonised EU framework for contingency stockpiling. However, this aspect was entirely omitted from the proposal. A European-wide stockpiling approach would ensure that member states do not compete against each other for supplies and could rely on EU solidarity during shortages. Without coordination, stockpiling efforts risk being fragmented, leading to inefficiencies and potential inequities. 'It cannot happen again that larger states stockpile medicines without sharing them with smaller countries in need,' stressed Croatian MEP Tomislav Sokol from centre-right European People's Party. With the proposal now moving to the legislative process, MEPs are expected to introduce amendments pushing for coordinated stockpiling measures
Euronews
07-03-2025
- Health
- Euronews
Just 1 in 9 people in France has optimal heart health, study finds
The study also found there were wide disparities depending on gender and socioeconomic background. ADVERTISEMENT Only 11 per cent of the French population has optimal cardiovascular health, a new study by the country's public health agency has found. The data also revealed that there were stark disparities across the population, with the rate falling to 4 per cent among people with a secondary education while 21 per cent of people with a high education level were in good health. 'This important work confirms the major public health burden of [cardiovascular and neurovascular disease] on healthcare in France,' Dr Caroline Semaille, the director general of Public Health France, said in a statement. Cardiovascular and neurovascular diseases were the second leading cause of death in the country in 2022. Gender differences 'Two points stand out for me: inequalities are still high, and women's health is deteriorating at a worrying rate,' she added. Women are increasingly adopting behaviors that are detrimental to their health, such as smoking, which was more prevalent among women between the ages of 45 and 64. They also tended to be more sedentary, with 47 per cent of them not meeting the physical activity recommendations compared to 29 per cent of men. The epidemiological briefing, published this week, also noted that women are less often hospitalised in intensive care and suffer more acute complications, with higher early mortality. The cardiovascular health was calculated based on the Life's Simple 7 score developed by the American Heart Association. 'Adopting healthier behaviours, early diagnosis, managing modifiable risk factors and preventing complications are all essential actions to reduce the impact of these largely preventable diseases,' Semaille said. The seven metrics are smoking status, body weight (usually measured by Body Mass Index), physical activity, diet, cholesterol, blood pressure, and fasting blood glucose. The association recently added sleep as an eighth metric. To mitigate the risks of cardiovascular disease, experts recommend exercising for at least 150 minutes per week (only 75 minutes per week if the activity is intense), maintaining a healthy diet, avoiding tobacco, and monitoring cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
Euronews
06-03-2025
- Health
- Euronews
Just 1 in 9 people in France has good heart health, government agency says
Only 11 per cent of the French population has optimal cardiovascular health, a new study by the country's public health agency has found. The data also revealed that there were stark disparities across the population, with the rate falling to 4 per cent among people with a secondary education while 21 per cent of people with a high education level were in good health. 'This important work confirms the major public health burden of [cardiovascular and neurovascular disease] on healthcare in France,' Dr Caroline Semaille, the director general of Public Health France, said in a statement. Cardiovascular and neurovascular diseases were the second leading cause of death in the country in 2022. Gender differences 'Two points stand out for me: inequalities are still high, and women's health is deteriorating at a worrying rate,' she added. Women are increasingly adopting behaviors that are detrimental to their health, such as smoking, which was more prevalent among women between the ages of 45 and 64. They also tended to be more sedentary, with 47 per cent of them not meeting the physical activity recommendations compared to 29 per cent of men. The epidemiological briefing, published this week, also noted that women are less often hospitalised in intensive care and suffer more acute complications, with higher early mortality. The cardiovascular health was calculated based on the Life's Simple 7 score developed by the American Heart Association. 'Adopting healthier behaviours, early diagnosis, managing modifiable risk factors and preventing complications are all essential actions to reduce the impact of these largely preventable diseases,' Semaille said. The seven metrics are smoking status, body weight (usually measured by Body Mass Index), physical activity, diet, cholesterol, blood pressure, and fasting blood glucose. The association recently added sleep as an eighth metric. To mitigate the risks of cardiovascular disease, experts recommend exercising for at least 150 minutes per week (only 75 minutes per week if the activity is intense), maintaining a healthy diet, avoiding tobacco, and monitoring cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
