Mónica García defiende la apuesta de España por la salud pública contra el negacionismo.
The Health Minister, Mónica García, defended on Wednesday that Spain will always bet on public health against non-analism, while making a call to scientific knowledge because, in her opinion, it is «despised, insulted, and expelled.»
«It is time to organize and strengthen scientific shelters, create ecosystems for researching and innovating that can be liberated,» García said during the inauguration of the meeting «Health Equity and Marmot Principles,» organized by the Ministry of Health.
Therefore, in the presentation by Professor Michael Marmot, García stated that inequality is not a problem for «those at the extremes of the stairs» but rather «affects everyone.» «More unequal societies mean worse health for all people,» she said.
At this moment, García lamented the current political crisis worldwide, which, in her view, are periods of «regression, invention, and contempt,» as well as «denial of scientific evidence.» The minister emphasized that the «Lancet» journal warned a few days ago about the health consequences of the Trump administration’s decisions.
«These decisions undermine science, weaken the protection of the most vulnerable populations, and erode decades of progress in public health,» said García, who pointed out that «when knowledge is despised and fueled by denial and fear, the consequences are global and palpable.»
In this regard, the minister recalled that the state public health agency decreased last week in Congress for a «tactical and revengeful vision.» However, she stated that the ministry will bring the agency back to Congress because it is «one of the fundamental pillars» that will protect the population in the future.
García also explained that «in every public policy» promoted by the Ministry of Health, they are «the lenses of the social determinants of health.» «In the foundations of our national health system, a deep conviction prevails. Only by addressing the structural causes of inequality is it possible to build a health system,» she added.
On the other hand, García indicated that, in the face of social inequality, the Ministry of Health strengthened primary care with the new Primary Care Plan 2025-2027.
«If we say there is a vaccine that solves 85 percent of the most common health problems and reduces mortality by 20 percent, the medicine would be paid at exorbitant prices. Well, this is our primary care, which is the envy of the world,» she said.
During his speech, Professor Michael Marmot explained how social determinants of health influence the population’s health. «I work on the general hypothesis that the health of a population tells us a lot about how well society works and how well it meets the needs of its citizens. And if health does not improve, society does not improve, and if health problems increase, inequalities increase,» Marmot said.
Furthermore, the expert stated that inequality «passes from generation to generation.» «My children are all college graduates and tell me that their friends, also college students, cannot afford to rent in London unless their parents help them. Having a high degree of education and training does not help you live unless you have help from your parents,» he explained.
«Home is an issue. Income and wages are an issue. They all have an impact on health. You have weaker health,» Marmot clarified.
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