A cure for cancer is the population’s greatest wish in a survey on the development of science
91% of the population is interested in innovations in science and healthcare; According to the survey “Social Perception of Science and Technology in Russia”, 53% of respondents say that their interest in these disciplines has increased in recent years, and 76% of the population want the next big achievement in science to be a cure for cancer. health”, held by the Pfizer Foundation as part of its 25th anniversary. Concern about treating cancer far outpaces other important health issues, such as finding treatments to stop dementia (47%), treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (39%) and multiple sclerosis (MS) (29%). . “This year, as the Pfizer Foundation celebrates its 25th anniversary, we wanted to stop and observe what the public thinks about science and innovation, how they perceive scientific and technological advances in health care over the past 25 years, and what others expect in 25 years,” says Pfizer Foundation President Sergio Rodriguez. “It’s good to see that 9 out of 10 people surveyed are interested in science and health innovation; this motivates us to continue to develop activities to promote science, technology and innovation and promote their approach to society,” he adds.
On the other hand, for 54% of Spaniards, vaccines are the most significant scientific health innovation in history. Antibiotics and organ transplantation share second place with 50%, followed by the discovery of anesthesia (32%) and DNA (31%). Looking at the past 25 years, more than half of Spaniards (53%) believe that the most important innovation in health care has been cancer cell immunotherapy, which uses cells from our immune system to fight cancer. On the other hand, robotic surgery is considered the most pressing technological innovation of the last quarter century (61%), ahead of 3D tissue printing (51%), remote health monitoring (37%) and the use of artificial intelligence. health (31%). “The Foundation’s work is also to educate and explain to the public how technology is driving science and improving our health. Technologies that have emerged recently are now fully integrated into many work processes. And this evolution is constant. Today, artificial intelligence is reducing research and development time in the medical field and allowing for much faster progress,” says Sergio Rodriguez.
The survey also shows that 91% of Spaniards are interested in aspects related to science and innovation in health, an interest that has increased in recent years for 53% of Spaniards. Proof of this is that 45% actively seek or consume information about science and health innovation frequently at least once a week, and nearly 7 in 10 do so at least once a month. Three in four obtain information through Internet search engines and seek primarily general information about health habits (65%) and information about specific diseases or health problems (54%).
Likewise, nearly 92% of respondents link science and innovation to advances in health care, and this connection is “total” for more than 62%. On the other hand, the Covid-19 pandemic has improved public perception of the value of science. Following the health crisis, 6 in 10 Spaniards value more the importance of scientific research and innovation and its contribution to society.
Public research centers are the organizations considered most important in health research and innovation in Spain (65%), followed by universities (57%), public hospitals (45%) and private companies (41%) . In terms of the specific benefits that science and health innovation bring to society, 73% believe it improves people’s quality of life, and nearly two-thirds believe it helps save lives and prevent disease. However, 71% of respondents believe that scientists and researchers of healthcare solutions and technologies do not have sufficient public recognition.