Innovación

FIBHGM coordinates an innovative European project for mobile healthcare for vulnerable populations

A commitment to leading innovative, inclusive and scalable care models in public health

The Biomedical Research Foundation of Gregorio Marañón Hospital (FIBHGM) is coordinating an innovative European public health project, MOBHOPE, which will deploy mobile units to provide care for people in situations of particular vulnerability. The initiative aims to reduce the impact of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), viral hepatitis and other liver diseases among the European population.

The initiative, led by Pablo Ryan, a researcher at the Gregorio Marañón Health Research Institute (IiSGM) and a physician in the Internal Medicine Department at Hospital Infanta Leonor, seeks to unify and improve mobile medical care in disadvantaged areas of Europe by developing applicable and effective protocols. It will be carried out from the present year until 2028 thanks to the EU4Health programme. Chiara Fanciulli and Leire Pérez, clinicians in the Microbiology Department at Gregorio Marañón Hospital and researchers at the IiSGM, are also participating in the project.

Specifically, the initiative aims to reduce the impact of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), viral hepatitis and other liver diseases among the European population. To achieve this, efforts will focus on bringing medical care closer to those who need it most, guaranteeing fair and equitable treatment, and strengthening local health services so that they can respond more effectively to these challenges.

In this way, the MOBHOPE project will study how many people suffer from diseases such as hepatitis, HIV or tuberculosis, their needs in accessing treatment and how stigma affects their healthcare.

The central participation of the FIBHGM represents a commitment to leading innovative, inclusive and scalable models of public health care, in line with European objectives of equity, dignity and the elimination of viral hepatitis.

For this research project, the mobile unit operating in the Community of Madrid will be managed by the FIBHGM. It is a pioneering resource in Spain for community healthcare access.

This is what the units are like

The project's mobile units will offer screening, guidance, referral and support for hepatitis B and C, HIV and other STIs, tuberculosis, as well as non-communicable liver diseases. In addition, these resources will integrate mental health, addiction and psychosocial support services.

Thanks to this coordinated effort, in which Hepatos, Sociedad de Enfermedades Hepáticas de Croacia, and the Portuguese association Ares do Pinhal are also participating, an assessment of stigma and potential barriers to healthcare access will be carried out, together with an analysis of the impact on care cascades.

The long-term objective is to reduce the number of severe cases of communicable diseases, decrease the incidence of cirrhosis and/or liver cancer, and improve the general health of vulnerable groups such as people experiencing homelessness or housing instability, migrants, people in prison or people with addiction problems.

The results will also serve to inform public policy and facilitate the creation of a common European model of mobile healthcare, based on evidence and adaptable to different contexts.