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Professor Patrice DEBRÉ (Chair of the international relationship Committee of ANM, Président du Comité des affaires internationales de l’ANM)

 

When the French National Academy of Medicine (ANM) meets its partners around the world about Covid-19 on the occasion of two hundred years of fighting against epizootics.

The Covid-19 webinar is one of the main bicentennial events of our National Academy of Medicine, but also one of our initiatives and ambitions dedicated to the international.

The French National Academy of Medicine was created on December 20, 1820, to advise government and royalty on public health policy. With its members belonging to various medical, surgical and pharmaceutical specialties, but also its associate members from various scientific fields, the ANM immediately asserted itself as a body covering the different aspects of medicine. Already, in a notable way, it welcomed the presence of international members, indicating that health has no borders and is nourished by its foreign partnerships. The year 2020, which celebrates 200 years later this creation, is the opportunity to recall this initiative, and better still to make International Relationships one of our main lines of conduct and strategy.

Today, the Academy of Medicine hosts 180 foreign members as well as numerous partnerships with foreign academies. The various collaborations that result respond to different initiatives but are better dedicated to strengthening international interactions and sharing of experience. The strategic priorities of our policy are thus to promote regional loco activities by supporting face-to-face meetings and Visioconferences around subjects of interest chosen in common. These look to historical partnerships and the meeting of those of the Francophonie, but more broadly are open to the many problems of globalization. ANM strategy also seeks to promote a policy of meeting with Alumni and to allow a transfer of information concerning French opportunities in terms of care, research, and training. The ANM is also part of the expertise desired by interacademic activities, as those of the interacademy partnership (IAP) and Federation of European Academies of Medicine (FEAM). Last but not least the ANM wishes to renew its links with the present and future foreign associates and correspondents who are members of our institution.

In continuation of the fight against epidemics, one of the first mission entrusted to the Academy since its creation, The Covid which is a major subject of concern for the whole world gives us today the opportunity of this webinar. We wanted it to be able to show the multiple aspects of the conduct and confrontation of public policies, discussing actualities concerning research in physiopathology, therapy and vaccines. We also wanted to cross the expertise of different countries for the best sharing of news related to this disease.

This day was thus a scientific meeting which, although virtual, was intended to share the state of the art and science about Covid-19. In the continuation of a historic approach, it represents the renewal and development of a partnership for the fight against epidemics, and, more broadly, for global health, where ANM wishes to fully act.