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Olivier Véran unveiled the new strategy for the fight against endometriosis in France. The objective is to diagnose more quickly, to better take care of patients, in particular with specialists trained and informed about this disease which affects approximately 1 to 2 million French women.
Sometimes unbearable pain in the stomach during menstruation “are not normal”. Endometriosis, a disease which affects approximately between 1 and 2 million French women, is at the heart of a national strategy. On January 11, the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron announced that he wanted to launch a plan to better manage this disease, the diagnosis of which is made on average 7 years after the first symptoms. On this occasion, Olivier Véran spoke this Monday, February 14 from the Paris Saint-Joseph hospital.
To fight against this disease which represents the first cause of infertility, Olivier Véran reveals the first axis of the strategy established by the government: to better understand the disease. Inserm will therefore set up a priority research program and equipment over 5 years. “This will bring together all the best researchers from all disciplines”he announces.
A register of qualified specialists
Second action: France will have the largest database in the world on endometriosis, by merging several existing territorial databases. “We estimate that more than 11,000 women will be able to be followed day by day in real time to be able to better understand the evolution of this disease”reveals Olivier Véran.
In addition, to improve the speed of diagnosis, the Government has decided to put the list of all health professionals online “who are qualified and who are competent to be able to diagnose, treat, monitor endometriosis”. In each region, there will be channels to which patients likely to suffer from endometriosis can be referred. For more complex cases, multi-disciplinary consultation meetings, like cancer treatment, will be set up. “The objective is to develop the best possible care strategy”. And if the situation is even more specific, reference centers at the regional level will be structured, with specialists in the disease.
The support of expert patients
Endometriosis will also be recorded in the health record and will be sought during compulsory consultations in adolescence and during long sexual health consultations accessible to all free of charge up to the age of 25. Finally, the objective will be to communicate, train and inform health personnel who will have the reflex to look for the disease as soon as suggestive signs are mentioned. Communications to the general public, particularly during endometriosis week in March, will be set up.
“We are also going to rely on expert patients (…) who will have a role in raising awareness directly among professionals about the realities of this disease”. Furthermore, the Minister of Health points out that it is possible to have recourse to the ALD device as soon as the doctor deems it necessary. “Today the rules are not sufficiently known and clear, more than 5000 patients currently have 100% coverage of a remaining charge, we hope that many more patients will benefit from it, c This is why we are going to harmonize all the rules and raise the awareness of professionals”.