The Healthcare Shield

The concept of a “healthcare shield” refers to the full chain of actions and players from detection of an infection to treatment of it, enabling greater responsiveness in order to protect animal and human populations against infectious diseases.

A healthcare shield in order to respond to public health challenges and remain a leader on dynamic markets

Infectious diseases result from the invasion of the human or animal body by a pathogen (infection). These pathogens may be microorganisms, bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi.

The transmission of infections from one individual to another is made easier by modern means of transport, tourism, population migrations, large urban gatherings and conflicts.

A few key figures:

• The number of annual deaths due to bacterial infections alone is estimated at 10 million worldwide.
• Between 1 and 3 million people die yearly of malaria, transmitted by a parasite.
• The Hepatitis C (VHC) virus infects 170 million people worldwide. 50% of the victims cannot be cured and there is no alternative treatment.
• The influenza virus kills 250,000 people every year.
• Measles, one of the most contagious viruses, kills 500,000 people every year.
• Vaccination saves 3 million people every year (source: WHO).

The strength of the infectious disease healthcare shield lies in the high-level expertise it features throughout the chain, from identification of pathogens to the protection of endangered populations

- with world-leading firms on dynamic markets in the field of human vaccines (sanofi pasteur), animal vaccines (Merial), diagnostics (bioMérieux) and drug delivery systems (BD),

- with specialized research laboratories in Lyon and Grenoble

- with major technical platforms, such as the Jean Mérieux-Inserm Biosafety Level 4 Laboratory in Lyon, enabling scientists to study the most pathogen viruses (such as Ebola).