Biosistemak at the Academy of Medical Sciences in Bilbao
Scientific director Ane Fullaondo participates in a conference on the socio-economic impact of obesity.
On 3 December, Biosistemak’s scientific director, Ane Fullaondo, took part in a series of conferences on Health Economics organised by the Health Economics Section of the Bilbao Academy of Medical Sciences, with a presentation focusing on the socio-economic impact of obesity and strategies to tackle it from the perspective of public health, innovation and healthcare management.
Entitled “The socio-economic impact of obesity: how to tackle it?”, the panel also brought together Roberto Nuño, researcher at Matia Institute and president of the organising Section, and Itziar Larizgoitia, specialist in Public Health. The meeting, held at the headquarters of the Bilbao Society, provided a space for reflection on the challenges posed by obesity as a multifactorial problem and innovative approaches for a more effective and sustainable response.
During his presentation, Fullaondo discussed experiences developed in the Basque healthcare system that combine prevention, technological innovation and community participation. These include initiatives such as “ Erandio Mugitzen ari da ” (Erandio is moving, the town is moving), a participatory process to promote healthy habits at the local level; multi-component health literacy programmes aimed at adolescents and young people; and the “El Viaje de Mangols” (Mangols’ Journey) project, which focuses on a comprehensive, family-based approach to childhood overweight and obesity through digital tools, motivational consultations and specific training for paediatric teams.
Value-based healthcare
The director of the Institute stressed the need to address obesity with a systemic approach, combining different approaches that include social prescription, artificial intelligence for the early detection of people at risk, and the use of metabolic digital twins to design more personalised interventions. She also insisted that co-creation with local agents, communities and professionals from different fields is key to achieving effective and sustainable implementation of interventions.
Fullaondo concluded her speech by highlighting the role of Value-Based Healthcare as a driver of change in tackling obesity, “defining meaningful outcomes from the perspective of individuals, measuring their real impact on health and committing to payment models based on those outcomes”.
Biosistemak’s participation in this cycle reinforces its commitment to applied research and innovation in the service of public health and the sustainability of the Basque healthcare system, in line with the values of collaboration and knowledge transfer promoted by the institute.
