As part of the presidential election, Médecins du Monde presents its plea for the French health system to be more united.
The French health system is recognized around the world as efficient. In the opinion of specialists, it is supported in particular by quality care structures. But the tide is turning. Dissonant voices alert more and more to its important flaws.
“For example, public health and prevention are neglected”, denounces Doctors of the World (MdM). “And social inequalities in the face of disease and death are widening,” adds the organization. In this context, and in the context of the 2017 presidential election, the international medical association presents this Thursday its plea for a more united health system. It is called: “Liberty, Equality, Health”.
Better reimbursement of care
Among the proposals to candidates for the supreme office, MdM activists propose to maintain the collective social security model and to increase the level of reimbursement of care by health insurance. To explain the difficulties in accessing healthcare, MdM also points to certain drugs that are too expensive.
The association targets in particular new drugs against the hepatitis C virus, direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). “If DAAs constitute a therapeutic revolution in the care of patients, they have also revealed ruptures in the drug ecosystem,” she writes.
To counter this, Médecins du Monde is proposing to reform the market rules for health products to strengthen transparency and health democracy and above all to revise the mechanism for setting the price of innovative drugs.
Protect caregivers everywhere
Finally, the association does not lose its humanitarian fiber, with an international vocation. As such, she recalls that Syria, to Yemen, in Afghanistan, in Iraq, attacks on patients and healthcare workers during armed conflict compromise or even make it impossible for civilians to access medical services. Worse, they continue despite the United Nations Security Council resolution of May 3.
Thus, the NGO calls on the presidential candidates to defend the principle of sanctuarization of places of care, nursing and humanitarian personnel. But also to prohibit the sale of military equipment to states that have committed war crimes.
Finally, Mdm encourages the future President of the Republic to continue the commitment of French diplomacy for the suspension of the right of veto at the Security Council of theUN in cases of mass crimes.
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