The financial and liberal logic of the world before the Covid-19 pandemic will fizzle out predicted Professor Axel Kahn. The doctor, a former genetic researcher and president of the National League Against Cancer, believes in a "reassessment of priorities" in favor of health.
In the health sector, do you feel an urgency to change things?
AXEL KAHN. Yes. This epidemic crisis shows, with painful acuity, that the financial prosperity of a country must be a means, not an end. A means of guaranteeing the common good, including this supreme good: the preservation and protection of health. Today it is not. See the United States! It will undoubtedly be one of the most frighteningly marked countries. However, Donald Trump began his presidency by canceling Obama Care, that is to say the start of an organization of social solidarity in health. That is not suitable. It is obvious. I hope that all the governments of the world, in their diversity, realize this.
Is this a whole model that is questioned here?
Absolutely! Things can no longer be seen with the same appreciation criteria. What I say also applies to France. In order to optimize budgetary standards, we have gradually put considerable pressure on hospitals, mask stocks have not been renewed ... The real revolution in progress is the perception of importance. What is the use of having an extraordinary GDP if we cannot treat?
Is the very principle of globalization challenged?
In part, yes. In financial and liberal globalization, we try to provide the consumer with products at a lower cost. And this is true even for drugs. When they have fallen into the public domain, when they are no longer covered by patents, there is a race for the lowest price. In my area of cancer, the vast majority of drugs are made in Asia, particularly in China and India. If we consider that these essential molecules are strategic elements, almost in the military sense of the term, we cannot accept a situation where we would run out of them. So yes, we have to partially de-globalize. Relocate to Europe, if not to the country. This is a very important point.
So we have to accept that it is more expensive?
A molecule made in Denmark, France or Spain will be much more expensive than a molecule made in Bangladesh. You have to prepare for it. Same for the masks. Why has this production been relocated to China? Masks are very inexpensive products, when there is no world demand, so the added value is low. Financial optimization and profitability have therefore led to their production in countries where the cost of labor is much lower. This is also true for artificial respirators. The strategic value of manufacturing on the territory must now be perceived, not the financial interest.
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A health Europe does not exist?
She is still very financial and managerial. The Europe of the common good in terms of health is still very insufficient. We can only note the lack of preparation for the European response, when all the countries are confronted, at the same time, with the epidemic. Certainly there is a little solidarity. We have seen this with patients from France who are accepted in Germany, Luxembourg or Switzerland. But there were also fierce competitions. Solidarity with Italy or with Spain has not been considerable and we are wreaking havoc on tarmacs to try to appropriate the masks…
Do you think that will change after the crisis?
There is an astonishing paradox. A pandemic is the very example of a global phenomenon. There is no more obvious vision of globalization than a pandemic. Well, the global response to a pandemic will be an important incentive for de-globalization. You will see.
Will health become a priority?
So far, it must be recognized, health has never been at a very high level on the political agenda, at home, as elsewhere. That will stop. Health will become one of the most important demands, an absolute requirement of the population. It is quite obvious that we are moving, from this point seen there, towards a re-appreciation of the order of priorities. On January 1, what do we want? Happy New Year and especially health. In the minds of all people nothing is more important than health. Nothing!
