Like every year in Paris, the Parcours du coeur is held, designed to encourage French people to participate in sports so as to prevent certain heart diseases in particular.
The National Ethics Committee has ruled in favour of therapeutic cloning, but the views of the members of that same committee that the government is seized with on this issue remain divided. This practice poses ethical problems. Explanation on graphic images (laboratory drawings, infographics) of this technique and interviews with Denys PELLERIN and Axel KAHN, members of the National Ethics Committee.
The Ministry of Health decided to relaunch surveillance of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease after the announcement of a death in Lyon similar to those reported in Great Britain. Scientists are still wondering about the possible transmission to humans of the so-called "mad cow" disease. Comment on factual images and interviews Jean-François GIRARD (Director General of Health) and Dominique DORMONT [and not "Dormon", NDD] (researcher at CEA).
The Catholic Church of France has lifted the taboo of the condom while warning against the trivialization of the sexual act. In a report released today entitled "Sida, The Society in question", the social commission of the French episcopate admits that the use of condoms is "necessary" to prevent the transmission of the AIDS virus. The commentary on images of the episcopate’s commission, and the titles of the book, alternates with the interview of Bishop Albert ROUET, bishop of Poitiers, president of the social commission of the French episcopate.
At an international AIDS conference in Washington, D.C., significant progress was announced today with HAART, the combination of three antiviral drugs. This progress is confirmed by the experiments carried out in the infectious diseases department of the Hôpital La Pitié Salpêtrière in Paris. The question of the cost of treatment is likely to be problematic, especially for Third World countries The commentary on images of consultations of AIDS patients in the hospital, and images of drug production in a pharmaceutical laboratory, alternates with interviews of François BRICAIRE, Head of the Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital La Pitié Salpêtrière, and Professor Jean-Paul LEVY, Director of the National Agency for AIDS Research.
As part of the fight against the spread of AIDS, Philippe Douste-Blazy, Minister for Health, has asked representatives of the pharmaceutical industries to put on sale, in the fall, male condoms at 1 franc. Philippe DOUSTE-BLAZY states that "this is a great step forward": "it is unacceptable that young people are contaminated by lack of money"." Paul GELBHART, president of the Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries, declares: "we have a role of defender of public health" and "all pharmacists undertake to make available this condom to a franc...". Illustration by images of a condom manufacturing line and a 3 for 10F condom vending machine.
A team of cardio-vascular surgery by Dr Jean-Paul COUETIL performed a first surgery: a bi-pulmonary transplant from a lung divided in two. Commentary on images of a meeting of the medical team, various plans of the Broussais hospital, on x-rays, infographics alternating with the explanations of Jean-Paul COUETIL, Broussais hospital.
Members of the Act up association have today come into force on the premises of the Lycée Montaigne to make pupils aware of the problem of AIDS. They distributed condoms to high school students. The commentary on images of the operation alternates with the testimony of high school students and the interviews of Cleews VELLAY, president of Act-up, on the meaning of the demonstration, and of Bernard FOURNIER, principal of the Lycée Montaigne, who is reluctant to install a condom distributor in the courtyard of his establishment.
Vaccination of young children against measles, mumps and rubella is carried out by the ROR vaccine, fully refunded by Social Security. Report to Saint Vincent de Paul Hospital, Paris, during a vaccination session.
Announcing the birth at the hospital in Oldham, Great Britain, and Louise BROWN, a little girl conceived by artificial fertilization. Images of the mother, Lesley BROWN, in a hospital bed before delivery.
Lionel JOSPIN presented the National Ethics Advisory Committee with a draft bill authorizing embryo research under certain conditions and prohibiting reproductive cloning. Excerpt from Lionel JOSPIN’s statement and commentary on laboratory images and explanatory drawings.
Report in Beijing on the ban on pigeons flying over the capital, one of China’s avian flu prevention measures. Interview with Liu CHANGSHENG, pigeon breeder in Beijing, who does not believe in contamination of his pigeons. He gives us his methods of hygiene and prevention of his animals.
A retrospective on the case of tainted blood, which has just been definitively closed today after 18 years of judicial struggle. A first trial took place in 1992 with the sentence of Michel Garretta to 4 years in prison, and second in 1999 with the judgment of Laurent Fabius, Georgina Dufoix and Edmond Hervé. Comment on archive photos and images and illustration images. Archival images of the judicial investigation of 1992 with the appearance of Michel Garretta, former director of the National Centre for Blood Transfusion (CNTS). Michel Garretta’s reaction to the journalists about the large number of accused in this case. Images of the archives of the judicial investigation of 1999: arrival of Laurent Fabius, Georgina Dufoix, Edmond Hervé at the Palace of Justice. Archival images of the judicial investigation of 1999: press conference of Sylvie Jouy, civil party about its contamination.
Report on the report of the National Ethics Committee on the ICSI technique (Intra cytoplasmic sperm Injection), which recommends that this method of in vitro fertilization be reserved for specific cases of male sterility. Since France has no independent evaluation structure, it is an association of parents which is currently conducting an investigation into this type of in vitro fertilization, which could possibly cause abnormalities in the unborn child. Comments on laboratory images, microscopic views, infographics, alternate with interviews with Professor Didier SICARD, Chair of the National Ethics Committee and Professor René FRYDMAN gynecologist.
An update on the grumbling of emergency physicians who denounce the conditions for the application of the reduction of working time in hospital and demand job creation and a budget extension, Pointing the risk of deterioration in the quality of care. Factual images at the hospital in Tarbes, where the emergency doctor strike has been going on for ten days; interviews with Jean Manuel PIERNA, emergency pathologist, and Patrick PELLOUX, President of the Association des médecins urgentistes hospitaliers de France.
Report devoted to a first medical: remote operation between New York and Strasbourg thanks to a robot. Testimony of the patient who was operated on with the gallbladder and interview of Professor Jacques MARESCAUX, surgeon at the CHU de Strasbourg. Alternating testimonies and factual images of the operation. Interview with Professor Jacques MARESCAUX, surgeon at the CHU de Strasbourg.
A retrospective on the discovery of AIDS since the first cases reported on 5 June 1981 in the United States, just twenty years ago. Overview of the epidemic. Commentary on archival, illustration and infographic images alternating with an interview with Dr Gilles PIALOUX, Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Rothschild Hospital, and a micro-sidewalk of young people.