Healthcare in the World of Tomorrow

[Article] - Published on May 24, 2018 in Science and Society

Rapid development, rising life expectancy, dwindling resources… Countries in the Global South are undergoing profound change, and the health needs of their populations are evolving. The expected health response must evolve as well. We take stock of the situation with Professors University of Montpellier.

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“As their lifestyles become more like ours, countries in the Global South will soon face the same diseases we do, particularly those linked to a sedentary lifestyle: obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease,”predicts Jacques Mercier. According to the vice president for research at the University of Montpellier, in addition to the emergence of these “rich-country” diseases, countries in the Global South will soon find themselves overwhelmingly confronted with a new challenge for which they are not truly prepared: cancer.

Cancer: The Disease of the 21st Century

As head ofthe ICM (Montpellier Cancer Institute), Marc Ychou is convinced that cancer is and will remain the leading cause of disease over the next thirty years. Rising life expectancy and an aging population inevitably lead to an increase in the number of cancer cases. Many of these cases (about 20% today, according to the World Health Organization) are actually caused by pathogens—parasites, bacteria, and viruses—that are particularly prevalent in the Southern Hemisphere. These agents specifically interfere with the proper functioning of the immune system, which is responsible for destroying cancer cells.
Thus, in the context of increasing life expectancy, understanding how the immune system will manage the growing cancer threat in the regions of the world most exposed to infections has become a critical research priority.

Defeating AIDS

“Of the 35 million people living with HIV, 25 million are in Africa,” notes Eric Delaporte, an infectious disease specialist at Montpellier University Hospital and a professor at the University of Montpellier. When asked the rhetorical question,“How can we eradicate HIV tomorrow?” the professor of medicine obviously has no answer.“While research to find a preventive or therapeutic vaccine has so far proved unsuccessful, there have been major therapeutic advances,” explainsProfessor in HIV.“We cannot yet cure AIDS, but the disease has gone from being fatal to chronic. And today’s therapies now prevent the transmission of the virus,”explains Monsef Benkirane, director ofthe Institute of Human Genetics (IGH).“In Africa, the stigmatization of infected individuals is still sometimes a barrier to getting tested, and even to seeking treatment,” continues the CNRS research director.

Defeating AIDS in the Global South will be no easy task, as, in addition to cultural factors, there are numerous obstacles—particularly those related to the fragility of health care systems—that must be overcome. Now more than ever, research must continue in order to develop, among other things, an innovative approach to treating HIV in the Global South.

Target: 90%

To end the AIDS epidemic, the UN set a target in late 2014 for 2020: that 90% of people living with HIV would know their HIV status, that 90% of those tested would receive sustained antiretroviral treatment, and finally, 90% of them would have a sustained viral load suppression.
Currently, just two years before this deadline, only 70% of people living with HIV are estimated to know their HIV status. 77% of those tested are estimated to be receiving appropriate antiretroviral treatment. 80% of them are estimated to have a suppressed viral load.

Preventing the Ebola virus

In 2014, the Ebola virus caused its deadliest outbreak to date. According to figures released by the World Health Organization, 11,310 people died in West Africa. Another 10,000 survived but were left with severe long-term health effects. Humans likely become infected by handling infected animals during hunting and butchering. Led by Ahidjo Ayouba (UM, IRD), the“Post-Ebola Resilience Initiative”project, selected as part of the first Muse call for proposals “Research Support 2017,” aims to document the presence of the virus at the interface between wildlife and humans using a “One Health”* approach.
This project, which has received 100,000 euros in funding, will be carried out in Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Cameroon, with the goal of understanding the circulation of this virus in the animal world. This information is essential for preventing new epidemics in humans.

* This is an integrated approach to health that emphasizes the interactions between animals, humans, and their various environments.

Keywords: Students, Health