Sponsored by The Interacademic parntership for Health & European Union
Chronic diseases are rife across the globe and infectious diseases are resistant to standard treatments while some
infectious diseases are re- emerging.
The EU has not been spared by this global pandemic and endemic disease.
Chronic diseases result in expenditure that is difficult to stem as we currently lack the knowledge to cure them.
The most developed countries, including a large part of the EU, have difficulty containing health spending, which already makes up a large proportion of GDP.
Antibiotic resistance and the re-emergence of infectious diseases are caused by the widespread use of antibiotics in human and animal health care, leading to their release into the environment and, in turn, an escalation in the resistance of many pathogenic bacteria.
The EU is particularly affected, notably the South, owing to the widespread prescription of antibiotics, in particular the more recent types.
One of the main reasons for this deterioration is our growing impact on our environment and the transformations we have imposed to maintain a steady increase in the well-being of an evergrowing population.
The realization that the planet is unique and that its resources are not infinite led to the concept of « One Health ».
This concept takes into account the health of the ecosystems of every component of the universe such as humans, animals, plants and the environment (air, water and soil) with their connections and interactions.
Applying the concept requires an in-depth study of each of the ecosystems and their multiple connections.
The urgency of the global “health situation” calls for the use of a more “anthropocentric” EcoHealth methodology based on Human Health with its influential components, such as lifestyle in its broadest sense, including food (in all these components), socialisation, and environmental chemical pollution.
The situation in the EU is contradictory as it has made substantial efforts to limit effects on climate while still suffering from the harmful effects of other continents.
However the EU has no real interventionist policy on health for pooling resources to address this vital challenge.
« The European Union (EU) complements national health policies by supporting local EU governments to achieve common objectives, pool resources and overcome shared challenges.
In addition to formulating EU-wide laws and standards for health products and services, it also provides funding
for health projects across the EU ».
Despite this extreme situation, hope is emerging with the biomedical and bioinformatic science of the human « Microbiome ».
It is composed of several parts: the most significant one in terms of quantity and effect on health is the gut microbiome but the oral, vaginal, pulmonary and skin microbiomes also play their part.
