The forum was organized jointly by the Russian Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Social Affairs of France, the French Embassy in the Russian Federation and the Government of St. Petersburg.
At the Plenary Session of the Forum, special attention was paid to the questions of public policy in the field of health care, especially health care organization in Russia and France, as well as scientific cooperation between the two countries in the health sector.
Speaking at the Plenary Session the Russian side stressed that government policies aimed at reducing mortality and increasing fertility. Thus, in a period of social and economic upheaval in the 1990s a sharp increase in mortality and fertility decline were marked, and only in 2012 it was possible to correct this situation. In 2013, the natural population growth was fixed for the first time for many recent years.
Participants of the forum
Forum participants noted that the adoption of Russian basic health care laws “On Health Protection”, “On Compulsory Medical Insurance” and the Strategy of drug supply development became the basis for major changes in the health care industry. As a result, the State Programme for the Development of Health was approved. It included a range of activities for the development of certain health care areas, ranging from prevention and clinical examination and ending with the introduction of modern innovation in medical science. Significant role in the program was given to the obstetrics service efficiency, the development of medical rehabilitation and palliative care.
The most effective model of medical care in the Russian Federation regions has become a three-tier system that improved availability of health care, public health organizations infrastructure, their human potential and private health organizations that are involved in the public health system more and more.
Specific reference was made to the medical centers that participate in program to reduce strokes. This is a unique program that achieved significant results in Russia. Thanks to it, patients with myocardial infarction and stroke get all the necessary medical care within 3-6 hours.
In recent years, the Russian Ministry of Health paid much attention to increasing of high-tech medical care volumes. Today significant results were achieved, and these volumes are planned to be almost doubled in the period of 2017—2018.
The Forum had roundtables on health care in oncology, maternal and infant health, donation and transplantation, cooperation in medical staff training.
Russian-French cooperation in the field of health service has a long history and is aimed primarily at improving and maintaining the health of the population of Russia and France. Cooperation between two countries has developed due to the signed Memorandum of Intent on Health and Welfare (in 2007). In addition, health care has been designated one of the priority areas of cooperation between the states in the Russian-French intergovernmental seminar on bilateral cooperation at the level of Government Heads in 2010, following which it was decided to hold high-level seminar in the field of health that was converted into a Russian-French Forum on Health (2011). Director of the General Directorate of health care providing of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health of France, Mr. Jean Debeaupuis said about this in his speech. He also noted that “cooperation between Russia and France in the area of health care is important, as the experience exchange and joint projects have a positive impact on improving the quality of health care for the citizens of both countries”.
The Forum was also attended by Director General of the General Directorate of health care providing of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Mr. Jean Debeaupuis, French Ambassador in the Russian Federation, Mr. Jean-Maurice Ripert, vice-governor of St. Petersburg Olga Kazanskaya, St. Petersburg Health Care Committee Chairman Valeriy Kolabutin, President of the National Medical Chamber Leonid Roshal, Assistant Ministers of Health of the Russian Federation Lyalya Gabbasova, director of the Russian Health Ministry Departments Elena Baybarina, Tatiana Semenova, Igor Nikitin, Academician, Director of Federal Almazov Medical Research Centre Evgeny Shlyakhto, as well as leading experts in Russia and France, heads of departments and health organizations at various levels.