Initiated by and for general practitioners, the CMGF brings together in one place all stakeholders in the field of general medicine: general practitioners—both future and experienced—experts from other medical disciplines, and representatives from healthcare and research institutions. Nearly 4,000 people are expected to attend the plenary lectures and parallel sessions, visit the exhibition, and network with peers.

By participating in the 16th edition of the CMGF, organized by the College of General Medicine from March 23 to 25, 2023, at the Palais des Congrès in Paris, Santé publique France aims to share insights on public health challenges and discuss best practices.

Two sessions co-organized by Santé publique France

Each year, as part of the congress, sessions are organized to share the latest medical and scientific information, as well as ways to improve daily practices in general medicine. A strong emphasis is placed on discussions and debates.

Among the sessions scheduled for the 2023 CMGF program, two plenary sessions are co-organized with Santé publique France:

“The First 1,000 Days of a Child’s Life,” on Thursday, March 23, from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Since its creation, Santé publique France has been committed to promoting health and prevention in the fields of perinatal care and early childhood through an integrated program of surveillance, prevention, and health promotion for pregnant women and children.
In 2019, the government-initiated project “The First 1,000 Days: Where It All Begins” made this issue a priority for public action. Indeed, it is now scientifically well established that interventions carried out as early as possible in life—from pregnancy through a child’s first two years, during the critical period known as “the first 1,000 days”—are among the most effective in public health. These interventions are what will enable children to reach their full developmental potential into adulthood.

This session will present the concepts of the first 1,000 days, as well as the tools and practical application in a medical practice. It will also be an opportunity to illustrate the first 1,000 days through dietary diversification, with a presentation of tools and concrete suggestions on how to support parents.

“Antibiotics: Let’s Avoid Misuse!” Friday, March 24, 2023, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Reducing antibiotic use is one of the pillars of the fight against antibiotic resistance, which could become one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Bacterial resistance to antibiotics (or antibiotic resistance) is a natural phenomenon that is significantly accelerated by the use of antibiotics. With more than 5,500 deaths attributed to infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria in France in 2015, antibiotic resistance is a major public health issue. Santé publique France leads the epidemiological surveillance and prevention of antibiotic resistance in France and participates in European surveillance through various initiatives aimed at preserving the effectiveness of antibiotics.

This session will provide an opportunity to assess the current state of antibiotic prescribing in France and to focus on antibiotic resistance. Santé publique France will also review its public awareness campaigns and present an overview of antibiotic therapy in nursing homes.
Next, the session will address the key questions to ask to prevent misuse and will present the tools available in France, with a focus on European tools. Finally, the session will cover the management of excessive requests from certain patients, as well as important questions to consider before prescribing.

The General Practitioner: A Key Partner of Santé publique France

As a healthcare professional, the general practitioner is a key player in public health who knows the patient, their family, and their environment. They are a key partner of the Agency in the areas of surveillance and prevention, for example through:

The SOS Médecins network

Since 2006, the SOS Médecins network has been one of the four sources of the SurSaUD® health surveillance system for emergencies and deaths. Thanks to the daily reporting of healthcare utilization data (including SOS Médecins medical procedures and emergency room visits), this system enables the production of real-time indicators necessary for the Agency’s epidemiological surveillance and monitoring missions.

About fifty epidemiological indicators are generated and analyzed daily by Santé publique France using SOS Médecins data. These indicators contribute, for all age groups, to the daily monitoring of the population’s health, both routinely and in the event of specific occurrences with potential health impacts (physical or mental health): seasonal epidemics (influenza, bronchiolitis, acute gastroenteritis), infectious disease outbreaks (COVID-19), environmental hazards (climatic, industrial, etc.), large gatherings—particularly sporting events—and so on.

About the Sentinelles Network

The Sentinelles Network, created in 1984, is a research and surveillance network for primary care in metropolitan France. As of January 1, 2022, it consists of 1,252 private general practitioners (representing 2.2% of private general practitioners in metropolitan France with exclusive or mixed private practice) and 138 private pediatricians (representing 5.1% of private pediatricians in metropolitan France with exclusive or mixed private practice), all volunteers, spread across mainland France.

This network contributes to surveillance activities, particularly in the field of infectious diseases (COVID-19, flu-like syndromes, Lyme disease, etc.), and conducts numerous clinical and epidemiological studies to better characterize diseases and their determinants.

Reportable diseases

This system covers 36 diseases and relies on the transmission of data by physicians and laboratory professionals (in private practice and hospitals) to public health inspectors (MISP) and their colleagues at the Regional Health Agencies (ARS), as well as to epidemiologists at Santé publique France.

The analysis of this information enables the implementation of urgent interventions at the local, national, or international level; describes the number and characteristics of infected individuals to guide investigation, prevention, screening, and care efforts; and provides data for their evaluation.

Social marketing initiatives

General practitioners are partners in all of our social marketing and prevention initiatives, such as No Smoking Month and Vaccination Week. We produce a range of resources to support them in their practice and disseminate essential prevention messages.

The Health Reserve

General practitioners also participate in the Health Reserve, with over 3,300 registered to date.