Local health contract signed in the East Var: here are its objectives

Adopted at the beginning of the year by the Estérel-Côte d'Azur Agglomeration Community Council (ECAA), the Local Health Contract (CLS) was signed on Thursday by a host of partners including ECAA President Frédéric Masquelier, Draguignan Sub-Prefect Myriam Garcia, and Regional Health Agency Director Sébastien Monié. The culmination of two years of work, this first CLS must "structure partnerships between health stakeholders and pool stakeholders while setting common objectives," summarized the head of the ARS.

Concretely, it aims, in particular, to reduce health inequalities, improve access to care and promote preventive actions in mental health. Needs that were highlighted by a diagnosis carried out in 2023. Also, this contract aims to respond to priority problems and issues, including:

An overrepresentation of people aged over 65 compared to the departmental and regional level. With a particularly high aging index in Fréjus and Saint-Raphaël. According to forecasts, the number of people over 75 in the metropolitan area will jump by 168% in 2050 to reach 2,048 people (currently 1,216).

There are a significant number of single women and couples without children in the country.

Pockets of precariousness and significant disparities, particularly in Fréjus and Puget-sur-Argens, exist despite the standard of living of the inhabitants of the conurbation being generally higher than the regional level.

Disabled people, both adults and children, are in high proportion, particularly in Fréjus and Puget.

There is excess mortality linked to endocrine diseases, alcohol-related pathologies, transport accidents and suicides.

Dental examinations have a lower rate than the department.

The primary vaccination rate against measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) and meningococcus C for infants is insufficient.

Seasonal flu vaccination rates are also lower than in the Var and France.

There are many prevention structures but they are little known to the public and health professionals.

The density of general practitioners is lower than the departmental and regional average. Furthermore, 43% of general practitioners in the region are over 60 years old, and 16.8% are even over 65.

The closure of emergency rooms in neighboring areas and the summer period are making it difficult to provide continuous care.

Psychiatry, and particularly child psychiatry, offers limited care.

Road traffic has an unfavourable index of severity of bodily injury accidents and risks linked to air pollution near major roads have been identified.

The problem of vector-borne diseases, such as chikungunya, is also very significant in the country.

18 actions spread over 6 axes

All the data collected through this diagnosis guided the development of 18 actions spread across six axes that will be undertaken over the next five years. Without going into detail, these would include:

To improve coordination between institutions and professionals related to health (creation of a collaborative platform or exchange bodies).

To support the training of professionals on these subjects.

To increase information, prevention and screening actions for the target audiences.

To consider targeted public policies: creation of a traveling prevention and care bus, free parking for nurses, publication of a guide to the attractiveness of the area for health professionals or even creation of a one-stop shop for access to care, for example.