EURO HEALTH Podcast

The guests of this podcast are carefully selected professors, doctors and others, so as they are experts in the health sector and discuss a range of complex topics which should be debated by the European politicians in Brussels. The world is swelled by crises in the health sector but just a few get properly elaborated on. The EURO HEALTH Podcast is here to change the narrative and provide valuable perspectives on issues which might seem obsolete but are equally important as others. Moderated by Jan Klusáček.

All Episodes

EURO HEALTH Podcast

#05 Mika Salminen - EURO HEALTH Podcast

February 20, 2023 • Health Podcast • Season 2 • Episode 5

The guest on the 5th episode of the 2nd season of the Euro Health Podcast is Mika Salminen, the Director of Infectious Diseases at the Finnish Institute of Health and Welfare (THL).

What does it mean to live with AIDS or HIV nowadays? Mika Salminen says that the situation has changed fundamentally over the last 25 years. Of course, the disease can cause serious health problems, but with the medicines that have been developed in those 25 years, an infected person can have a normal life without fear of health problems, if the drugs are applied in time. The patient still has the virus in his/her body but he/she is asymptomatic.

In this episode of the podcast, we will address the question of whether this effective medicine is available outside Europe, especially in Africa, which is the most affected by the HIV pandemic. We will also consider the current situation in Europe and the Czech Republic, and the links between HIV infection, drug addiction, and sexual orientation. And we will look into the availability of tests, the different approaches to drug addicts in different countries, and last but not least the attitude of society towards the infected and whether they are still stigmatized despite radical changes in the treatment?

SPEAKER

Mika Salminen is the Director of Infectious Diseases at the Finnish Institute of Health and Welfare (THL). This department is responsible for monitoring health, promoting the social and psychological well-being of the population, and researching the effectiveness of the social welfare and health care system. Mika Salminen previously worked as the coordinator of the Joint Action on HIV and Co-Infection Prevention and Harm Reduction (HA-REACT). The project aimed at contributing to the elimination of HIV and the reduction of tuberculosis and viral hepatitis among people who inject drugs in the EU by 2020. It focused on Member States with gaps in effective and evidence-based interventions. Prior to the Joint Action, Mika Salminen was involved in harm reduction programmes targeting particularly vulnerable populations. He has also been a member of the ECDC Advisory Forum and Chair of the National HIV/AIDS Expert Group.

EURO HEALTH PODCAST

Euro Health Podcast focuses on European health policy by giving voice to leading experts. The goal is to bring complex and evidence-based information, which could lead to a better Europe. Podcast is hosted by Jan Klusáček.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/27oZmDw...

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ_L...

TWITTER

Jan Klusáček: https://twitter.com/janklusacek?s=21