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On January 11, 2022, President Emmanuel Macron announced the launch of the first national strategy to fight endometriosis. A hope for many suffering women. Yes, but where are we today?
It was an announcement that meant a lot to many women (1 in 10 according to the latest endometriosis figures): on January 11, 2022, Emmanuel Macron, campaigning president, promised to make endometriosis a health issue public. The first national strategy for the fight against endometriosis was launched. Its plan specifically targeted diagnostic errors, the lack of research or care, and was based on three axes: increase research, create care networks in all regions, and make the disease better known. What about a little over a year later? We asked the question to Yasmine Candau, president of EndoFrance.
Millions invested in research for women’s health
Because the origins and mechanism of endometriosis are not yet well understood, investing in research seems to be a priority. On this subject, Olivier Véran, Minister of Solidarity and Health, announced that the largest epidemiological database in the world would be French, and would serve as the basis for numerous studies.
Last January, Yasmine Candau was still waiting for something concrete and declared to Causette magazine: “It is absolutely necessary to have a budget dedicated to research, there the ministry indicated an envelope of twenty million over five years, the downside is that it is a global budget dedicated to women’s health and not only to endometriosis”.
Contacted today, the president of EndoFrance says she is reassured and rather confident: “I met the Minister of Higher Education and Research (Sylvie Retailleau) 15 days ago who confirmed to us a “Women’s health and couples’ health” plan in which endometriosis would benefit from priority envelope of several million as of this year for research, it has probably heard our requests”.
Diagnosis: the care sectors are developing
The other priority axis was based in particular on the multiplication of care centers at the regional level allowing “to inform citizens, train professionals, diagnose endometriosis, announce this diagnosis and organize personalized care for each patient”.
“It was very important for us that this be integrated into the national strategy to combat diagnostic wandering” confirms Yasmine Candau. On this point, there is real progress: “Some care sectors are emerging, others are already active and it depends on the ARS (regional health agency) which have taken up the subject. There are 4 in Île-de-France, one in Auvergne, one in the PACA region, in New Aquitaine, in Brittany… And the other regions have contacted us for information.
Everything is not yet fluid and perfect, however: thus, the Grand Est region, for example, is experiencing difficulties in this area. “We have not yet identified the person within the ARS who is taking care of this” evokes Yasmine Candau.
Training, sinews of war for better information
Finally, the visibility of the disease, an important parameter for making it a priority cause, has not been forgotten. Beyond the testimonials that flourish on all the media, the president of EndoFrance particularly mentions the complete file posted on the site sante.fr and which refers in particular to all the associations in the field. It also pays tribute to the important work carried out by very active associations in France.
But Yasmine Candau admits that there is still a lot to do:
“It’s a good start, a good development, but these efforts must be continued, in particular so that all regions will have active healthcare sectors tomorrow. And above all that all the people who can diagnose the disease receive more training: radiologists, midwives… It is through training and visibility that we can actively fight against this disease.”