Rubén Moreno Palanques Facts for Kids

Ruben Moreno Palanques was born in Castellón, Spain, on July 23, 1958. He is a Spanish politician from the conservative People's Party (PP). He is a doctor and has a PhD from the University of Valencia. He has served as a Senator and was a Member of Parliament (MP) in the Congress of Deputies for several terms. He also held important roles like Secretary of State for Relations with Parliament and Secretary General of Health in the Spanish government.

Early Life and Education
Political Career
Awards and Honours
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Early Life and Education

Ruben Moreno studied medicine and surgery at the University of Valencia, becoming the first in his family to become a doctor. However, his family was already involved in politics; his grandfather ran in local elections. Ruben also studied music when he was young. He had to stop his music studies when he won a scholarship that took him away from home to finish his medical degree.

Political Career

From 1995 to 2000, Ruben Moreno worked in health services for the Valencian Government. He was the General Director of the Valencian Health Service and held other important positions in the health department.

In 2000, when President Aznar was in power, Ruben Moreno became the Secretary General of Health Management and Cooperation. He also led the National Health Service (INSALUD). During this time, he managed a huge project: transferring health responsibilities from the national government to many of Spain's regions. This involved moving over 9 billion euros, more than 133,000 health workers, 79 hospitals, and over 1,000 health centers.

In 2011, he was elected as a Member of Parliament for Valencia. In Congress, he spoke for his party on health issues and European Union matters. He also worked on the Toledo Pact Committee, which deals with social security. He was very active in European affairs. In December 2014, he left his seat in Congress to become the Secretary General of Health and Consumer Affairs.

Tackling the Hepatitis C Crisis

When Ruben Moreno joined the Ministry of Health in December 2014, he and the new Minister, Alfonso Alonso, faced a big health challenge. Many patients with Hepatitis C, a serious liver disease, needed new, expensive medicines.

While some countries delayed treatments, Ruben Moreno and his team quickly created a plan. They formed a group of experts to develop a national plan for Hepatitis C. They also worked to reduce the cost of the new medicines by more than 76%. This plan helped treat and cure over 130,000 patients. Spain is now on track to eliminate Hepatitis C by 2024, six years earlier than the goal set by the World Health Organization (WHO). This would make Spain the second country in the world, after Iceland, to achieve this.

Diphtheria Case in a Child

In June 2015, a very rare case of diphtheria occurred in Catalonia. Diphtheria is a serious disease that had almost disappeared in Spain. The child who got sick was not vaccinated. Ruben Moreno personally helped find a special medicine called diphtheria antitoxin. After a complex search, he located it in Russia in less than 48 hours. The Russian authorities quickly sent the medicine to Spain.

Chickenpox and Meningitis B Vaccines

Ruben Moreno also played a key role in changing vaccine policies.

Chickenpox Vaccine

Before 2015, the chickenpox vaccine was usually given to teenagers in Spain. However, many doctors suggested giving it to younger children. This meant parents often had to pay for the vaccine themselves if they wanted their young children vaccinated.

In July 2015, Ruben Moreno and Minister Alfonso Alonso helped change the vaccination schedule. Starting in 2016, the chickenpox vaccine became available for all young children, with the first dose at 12-15 months and a second dose between 3 and 4 years. This made the vaccine free for all families.

Meningitis B Vaccine

The Meningitis B vaccine was approved in Europe in 2013. However, in Spain, it was only available for hospital use, meaning people couldn't buy it at pharmacies. Many families had to travel to other countries to get the vaccine.

Ruben Moreno helped push for a review of the vaccine's safety data. In September 2015, the rules changed, and the Meningitis B vaccine became available in Spanish pharmacies.

Ruben Moreno was re-elected as a Member of Parliament in 2015 and 2016. He served as a deputy spokesperson and coordinated committees on foreign affairs and European Union matters. In February 2018, he was appointed Secretary of State for Relations with Parliament.

For his work, he has received high honors, including the Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic and the Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit.

Awards and Honours

Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic (gcYC) Spain 2002
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit (gcCM) Spain 2018
Corresponding Academic of the Royal Academy of Medicine and Related Sciences of the Valencian Community.