Health care helps to stabilize democracies, Gastein chief says

SNEAK PEEK

— Austria’s Clemens Martin Auer stresses the role of health care in democracies ahead of a major health policy summit in the Alps.

— The European Medicines Agency recommended two updated Covid-19 vaccines — but targeting different variants.

— Hungary’s secretary of state for health will present the Hungarian presidency’s program on health to Parliament’s ENVI committee.

Welcome to Monday’s Morning Health Care! World leaders are gathering in New York for the United Nations General Assembly this week. We’ll be following a big discussion on antimicrobial resistance on Thursday, and for daily coverage, our colleague Suzanne Lynch can keep you up to date with Global Playbook.

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DRIVING THE DAY

HAPPY GASTEIN EVE: Health nerds are flocking to the sunny (and sometimes snowy) Alpine haven of Bad Hofgastein in Austria this week for one of the biggest health policy events in the calendar: European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG). Between soaking in hot springs and early hikes to the stunning peaks that envelope the spa town, health policy wonks will be hard at work networking, hosting and hustling in side-meetings and trying to move the dial on policy challenges. For many, it’s also a chance to reconnect with familiar faces.

Asking the expert: To get you up to speed ahead of the first day of the conference — which kicks off tomorrow — Morning Health Care sat down (virtually) with Gastein President Clemens Martin Auer, former director general of Austria’s health ministry, who gave us a rundown of this year’s theme and panels.

Let’s get serious: To Auer, these unstable times are no laughing matter. With worrying demographic trends and democracies “under siege” from populist extremes all over the continent, the health community needs to sober up and realize the role it can play to stabilize democracies. 

“Do we have a role in stabilizing democracy?” he asked. “Yes,” because health and wellbeing are at the “core of democracy.” When politics undermines health systems, making it impossible to deliver to people’s expectations — think long queues in the emergency room, weeks to get a doctor’s appointment, inadequate social care — this destabilizes populations, Auer said.

The “sands of health are shifting” — as the theme of the conference indicates — and “they can shift in the right or wrong direction,” he said. That’s why this is “a serious conference in a serious time.”

Drafting a new social contract: On the one hand, politicians have to agree to safeguard health and budgets for health systems. On the other hand, they should also commit to tackle not only the usual cost drivers for health care — such as the pharma industry — but also the less obvious ones, including the costs of non-communicable diseases caused by commercial determinants, such as fast food and alcohol.

Good news first: One positive theme is the shift to health digitalization. Conversations on this years ago came hand-in-hand with concerns over data protection and privacy issues, he said. These put up “blockages” in Austria, and “did not lead us to the full potential digitalization in health can have for us patients.” 

But things are different now: It’s not just about regulating data, but also about “a patient’s right” to allow their personal data to be used accordingly for their health care and research, he said. “It is high time that we unblock the breaks which hinder the full potential of digitization in health care.”

Not so good: When it comes to worrying demographic shifts, such as aging populations and urbanization, Auer said he doesn’t see good solutions “on the political plate.” 

Competition, competition, competition: It’s the EU’s word of the year, and it has bled into the health sector’s agenda as well. The pharma package is “not solving one major problem,” he said: unequal access to innovative drugs within the EU.

But when talking about competitiveness, we should not just talk about the pharma industry and innovation, but also about the supply chain of generics, he said. To Auer, there is a lack of “political clout” in the generics industry, rendering it unable to make as much noise as Big Pharma.

Let’s go over the mission letters (again): Over the past months, we’ve heard several people sound the alarm over the declining importance given to health on the EU stage — case in point, the questionable pick of health commissioner, Hungary’s Olivér Várhelyi. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s mission letter for the role highlights several responsibilities, from tackling shortages and proposing a Critical Medicines Act to revising the tobacco legislation and working on an EU Biotech Act.

Others are scattered among other commissioners, such as the executive vice-president for prosperity and industrial strategy and the executive vice president for people, skills and preparedness.

Not enough: But the goals for health don’t go far enough, Auer said. “There are mission letters which highlight the known, the necessities, which are already on the plate,” he said. “But they are not diving into the imaginable things. And when it comes to non-communicable diseases, we have to dive into the imaginable things and we have to tackle the commercial determinants.”

Any words on the health commissioner pick? Being a health expert is not strictly necessary for whoever steps into the role, he said, “but you should have had a little bit of exposure in social affairs or in health affairs when you take on such a task.” Ideally, it should be “a person who burns for health and has a record that he or she burned for health in the earlier stages of the career.” Does Várhelyi burn for health?

Attending Gastein? Come and find us. Claudia, Mari and Helen will be there to follow what’s happening on the ground, so get in touch, let’s grab a coffee, tell us what’s new …  or share the scoop of the year!

VACCINES

UPDATED COVID SHOTS INCOMING: The European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended two updated Covid-19 vaccines on Friday — but each targeting different strains of the virus. The regulator’s medicines licensing committee CHMP backed the Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA vaccine for use on infants of six months old and above, Pfizer announced. This version targets an offshoot of the Omicron variant known as KP.2. The committee also gave the green light to Moderna’s mRNA shot targeting Omicron offshoot JN.1. 

Why the differences? The EMA called for updated shots for this coming cold season back in July. And while it said the JN.1 variant was the preferred target, it also noted that other regions (the U.S.) had recommended that, ideally, shots are updated to target the KP.2 strain. 

Manufacturers are covering all bases. Pfizer/BioNTech already updated its shot to JN.1 earlier this year, and it was approved in Europe in July, providing options for public health systems. “KP.2 vaccines have been recommended by other jurisdictions, where feasible, and could therefore also become available for distribution where needed in the EU, subject to EMA approval,” the EMA said in July.

The European Commission still has to rubber stamp the EMA’s decisions before the updated shots are authorized in the EU.

Novavax also filed data with the EMA for its JN.1-updated protein-based shot back in June.

**A message from MedTech Europe: With the kick-off of a new political cycle, healthcare in Europe is at a crucial crossroads. The medical technology sector is ready to embark on a journey toward a brighter future for patients, healthcare professionals, health systems and the wider society.**

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

DUTCH LOOK TO AI TO CUT QUEUES: The new Dutch government wants to make use of “revolutionary” AI in health care, to try cut doctors’ time spent on admin to only 20 percent by 2030. That would mean admin time is reduced from seven minutes to 16 seconds per consultation, the recently published health agenda says.

“With the help of AI, even concept letters and e-mails can be generated automatically, both in the jargon of the medical specialist and in language that is understandable to the patient,” the agenda states. 

Fast-track: The government says it will prioritize the legislation and regulations required for the introduction of generative AI in hospital care, and accelerate the improvement of data availability and exchange in health care and welfare. 

A word of caution: In 2019, journalists revealed that Dutch tax authorities had used a self-learning algorithm to create risk profiles in an effort to spot child-care benefit fraud. Authorities penalized families over a mere suspicion of fraud based on the system’s risk indicators. The scandal led to a fine from the privacy watchdog and ultimately, the fall of the government at the time.

PARLIAMENT

HUNGARIAN PRIORITIES OUTLINED TO MEPS: The European Parliament’s health and environment committee (ENVI) will hear from Hungary’s Secretary of State for Health, Péter Takács, today. Takács will present the Council presidency’s program on health, at the heart of which lies cardiovascular diseases, transplantation and organ donation. And, of course, advancing work on the pharmaceutical legislation as much as possible. 

Recap: Budapest wants to see a cardiovascular disease plan that would help EU countries provide better access to screening, treatment and rehabilitation, and lead to an increase in innovation in the field.

Good news, Hungary: The new health commissioner has been tasked with delivering a “common approach” to cardiovascular diseases ( as well as many other non-communicable diseases — plus autism — per the mission letter).

On transplantation, the presidency wants to increase organ availability, boost the efficiency and accessibility of transplant systems and ensure quality and safety standards through reinforced cooperation between EU countries. The presidency is also exploring the possibility of an EU-wide strategy.

PANDEMIC AGREEMENT

PANDEMIC AGREEMENT TALKS OPEN UP BUT DEAL REMAINS ELUSIVE: The latest round of talks on a pandemic agreement were more transparent and yielded “substantive progress,” the World Health Organization said on Friday, but there’s a lot of work to do if negotiators are to reach a deal by year-end.

Keep the faith: “I know you have made progress, but I also know from what you have been saying, it’s not as good as what we wanted,” Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told negotiators in the closing session on Friday. But a deal is still possible this year, he said.

No pressure: The world needs hope that countries can still find common solutions to global crises, and pandemic agreement negotiators can provide it, Tedros said.

Open diplomacy? NGOs and civil society groups got the chance to attend daily morning briefings and access up-to-date drafts of the text. Before this session, negotiators conducted their business mostly in secret. 

WHAT WE’RE READING

Ukraine is continuing its fight against HIV while fending off Russian forces, reports NPR.

Gavi chief Sania Nishtar said the vaccine alliance is struggling for funds as its donors, including rich nations, are fiscally constrained, the FT writes.

Are we thinking about obesity all wrong, asks health journalist Julia Belluz in an opinion piece in the New York Times.

**A message from MedTech Europe: Europe’s healthcare is built on fairness and quality, but it’s facing unprecedented challenges. Budget cuts, staff shortages, aging populations, non-communicable diseases, rising drug resistance are pushing systems to their limit. The solution? A transition in healthcare that’s patient-centric, digitally advanced, resilient, and sustainable. Ready to shape the future of healthcare? Dive into the MedTech Europe Manifesto now.**