Caring for tomorrow's world

Accelerated development, rising life expectancy, scarcity of resources... The countries of the South are undergoing radical change, and the health needs of their populations are evolving. And so is the expected health response. We take stock of the situation in the company of lecturers and researchers from the University of Montpellier.

IGH © Miss Buffet Froid

" With the alignment of their lifestyles with ours, the countries of the South will soon be faced with the same diseases as we are, particularly those associated with a sedentary lifestyle: obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease", predicts Jacques Mercier. For the vice-president of the University of Montpellier in charge of research, in addition to the arrival of these "rich-country" diseases, the countries of the South will soon find themselves massively confronted with a new challenge for which they are not really prepared: cancer.

Cancer, the disease of the 21st century

At the head of theICM (Institut du Cancer de Montpellier), Marc Ychou is convinced that cancer is and will remain the predominant disease for the next thirty years. Increased life expectancy and an aging population are inevitably accompanied by a rise in the number of cancers. Many of them (around 20% today, according to the World Health Organization) are caused by pathogens - parasites, bacteria and viruses - which are particularly abundant in the southern hemisphere. These agents have a direct impact on the immune system's ability to destroy cancer cells.
With life expectancy on the rise, understanding how the immune system deals with the growing threat of cancer in those parts of the planet most exposed to infection has become a key research challenge.

Overcoming AIDS

" Of the 35 million people living with HIV, 25 million are in Africa ", says Eric Delaporte, infectiologist at Montpellier University Hospital and professor at the University of Montpellier. When asked " How can we put an end to HIV tomorrow? the professor of medicine obviously doesn't have an answer. " While the search for a preventive or therapeutic vaccine has so far proved unsuccessful, there have been major therapeutic advances ", explains the teacher-researcher, a specialist in HIV. " We're not yet cured of AIDS, but the disease has gone from being fatal to chronic. And today's therapies now prevent transmission of the virus", explains Monsef Benkir. explains Monsef Benkirane, Director of theInstitute of Human Genetics (IGH). " In Africa, the stigmatization of infected people is still sometimes an obstacle to screening and even treatment ", continues the CNRS research director.

Overcoming AIDS in developing countries will be no mean feat, for in addition to cultural factors, there are many other obstacles to overcome, not least the fragility of healthcare systems. Now more than ever, research must continue to develop innovative approaches to HIV treatment in developing countries.

90% target

To put an end to the AIDS epidemic, at the end of 2014 the UN set a target of 90% of people living with HIV knowing their serostatus by 2020, 90% of those tested receiving sustainable antiretroviral treatment, and finally 90% having their viral load sustainably suppressed.
At present, just two years before this deadline, only 70% of people with HIV know their serological status. 77% of those tested receive appropriate antiretroviral treatment. 80% would have their viral load suppressed.

Preventing the ebola virus

In 2014, the Ebola virus experienced its deadliest epidemic. 11,310 people died in West Africa, according to the World Health Organization. A further 10,000 survived with serious after-effects. People are probably 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 projects "Support for Research 2017", aims to document the presence of the virus at the interface between wildlife and humans, using a "One health "* approach.
This 100,000 euro project will be carried out in Guinea, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Cameroon, with the aim of understanding the circulation of this virus in the animal world. This information is essential to prevent new epidemics in humans.

* It's an integrated approach to health that focuses on the interactions between animals, humans and their various environments.