Germany is one of the fastest aging societies in the world. That is why the country will have to expect a sharp increase in the number of dementia and cancer patients in the foreseeable future, the minister said. It is therefore important, in addition to prevention, to focus on good quality in the treatment of patients. “We need to concentrate treatment in specialized clinics,” said Lauterbach. Recent studies show that the death rate of cancer patients in cancer centers is more than a quarter lower than in normal hospitals.
When it comes to combating climate change and its consequences, science is also much further ahead than politics, explained the minister. The consequences of environmental disasters, heat, poor air quality and droughts are massively underestimated. The number of infectious diseases caused by bacteria, parasites, fungi, prions or viruses and which can be mutually transmitted between animals and humans (zoonoses), rise sharply. But the number of cases of already known diseases such as dengue fever or malaria is also increasing in parallel with the rise in temperatures.
Measured against the consequences, action is not being taken decisively enough against environmental pollution, Lauterbach explained. In particular, the consequences of increasing air pollution are not taken seriously enough. “Air pollution is a silent killer,” explained Lauterbach. Heart and lung diseases are increasing. Dementia is also being promoted as a result. The World Health Organization has rightly assessed air pollution as the greatest environmental threat to human health.
The Cutter Lecture honors outstanding epidemiologists. Most recently, Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Alergy and Infectious Diseases and Chief Medical Advisor to the US President, was awarded the lecture.