Quiral opinion

Opinión Quiral 36.2. Ébola. Enfermedades emergentes
2016
Both the WHO and US centres for the Control and Prevention of Diseases have identified over 100 infectious diseases that affect humans. We should also remember firstly that over the last two decades more than 30 new microorganisms have been discovered, some of which are lethal. Secondly the fact that some diseases have re-emerged after long periods of inactivity, during which they were not considered a threat to public health, with a subsequent increase in their geographical spread, epidemic activity and/or seriousness. This edition of Chiral Opinion drew on the experience in their respective fields of two epidemiological experts; Doctor Andreu Segura (head of the Área de Salud Pública of the Institut d’Estudis de la Salut, IES) and Jaume Ollé (president of the ACTMON foundation). They discussed what is meant by the term emerging diseases, the alarm that may be created by the media in the general population, and concluded that the top priority is to control epidemics in their place of origin. Their experiences and opinions, of great medical and humanistic value, were discussed at the talk with an audience of scientific journalists and professionals from the fields of sanitation and health. Descarregar

Opinión Quiral 36.1. Ébola. Aprendizaje a partir del brote de Ébola
2015
The Ebola crisis in West Africa was of an unprecedented magnitude, not only because of the number of cases and deaths, but because of the duration of the outbreak and its socio-economic consequences. Although the West saw very few cases, they were enough to prompt the international community to finally decide to allocate resources to fight the epidemic. The debate generated by this subject was an exercise in self-criticism and analysis of the good and bad points of Catalonia and Spain’s response to Ebola. This edition of Chiral Opinion draws on the experience in their respective fields of two experts in epidemiology; Doctor Mireia Jané (deputy director of Vigilancia Epidemiológica of the Agència de Salut Pública de Catalunya) and Doctor Antoni Trilla (director of the Unidad de Evaluación, Apoyo y Prevención at Hospital Clínic). They explain how they managed the coordination of the Assistance Network and Hospital Clínic by establishing a system of epidemiological surveillance in Catalonia and activating protocol in suspected cases, and how to isolate suspected cases and who to contact. Their experiences were discussed with an audience of scientific journalists and professionals from the fields of sanitation and health at the talk. Descarregar

Opinión Quiral 35.2: Medicina regenerativa: estado actual
2015
Regenerative medicine has opened up an unprecedented wealth of possibilities for health and research. However, at the moment researchers are at pains to stress that regenerative medicine is not a technology that is currently able to provide cures, despite the advances being made that are bringing us closer to the final aim of effective regenerative medicine. In the hopefully not too distant future, a technique known as tissue engineering will also play an important role in our understanding of health. In this edition of Chiral Opinion two expert researchers in the field of regenerative medicine, Dr Pura Muñoz-Cánoves (director of the Cellular Biology Group at the Department of Experimental Sciences and Health at the Universidad Pompeu Fabra) and Dr Ramon Gomis (director of the August Pi i Sunyer Institute of Biomedical Research - IDIBAPS in Catalan), present the results of their research into ageing, muscular dystrophy and cancer, and also into the therapy as applied to diabetes and other metabolic illnesses. Their experiences in their respective fields were discussed in front of an audience of journalists and professionals from the fields of sanitation and health at the seminar. Descarregar

Opinión Quiral 35.1. Medicina regenerativa: ¿presente o futuro?
2014
Regenerative medicine, which aims to restore the lost functions of organs and tissue, currently offers a wide range of lines for research into future therapies. It has excited interest not only in the field of scientific research, but also in the media with reports on the technology raising hopes for new types of therapy. In the last 20 years regenerative medicine has advanced at an astounding rate, but there still remains much to be done. This edition of Chiral Opinion explores the present state of the discipline and what we may expect of it in the future. Two experts were called upon to expound on the subject, Dr Anna Veiga (director of the Cell Bank of the Barcelona Centre of Regenerative Medicine) and Dr Joan Garcia López (director of the Blood and Tissue Bank), who spoke about their experiences in the area to an audience of journalists and professionals from the fields of sanitation and health. Descarregar

Opinión Quiral 34.2: VIH/SIDA: Pronóstico y tratamiento
2014
The current treatments for AIDS are efficient and fairly well tolerated, although at the moment they are still life-long, with consequences for patients as well as health services. Even though AIDS is now considered a chronic illness, there still remain problems to be solved such as late diagnosis, a growing complacency towards the disease, the high percentage of people not receiving treatment, and the cost of treatment. The invited speakers, Bonaventura Clotet (director of IrsiCaixa) and Josep M. Gatell (head of the Infectious Diseases Services at Hospital Clínic in Barcelona), will talk about these and other subjects, together with journalists and an audience from the medical and public health fields. Descarregar

Opinión Quiral 34.1: Epidemiología y prevención del VIH/sida
2013
AIDS is a major public health problem the world over, due both to its spread and impact in a wide variety of social areas. Being an infection transmitted by direct sexual and intravenous contact it often results in situations of inequality and discrimination. Thirty years after its discovery there is still no cure and it continues to spread. Today we find ourselves in a period of uncertainty, with great challenges to be overcome, especially in the area of prevention. Descarregar