Abu Meri at North European-Baltic summit urges adoption of EU critical medicines regulation

RIGA - Latvian Health Minister Hosams Abu Meri (New Unity) at a meeting of North European and Baltic health ministers in Copenhagen on Monday called for a swift adoption of the European Union's Critical Medicines Act and to agree on joint medicines procurement, LETA was told at the Health Ministry.

In preparation for Denmark's Presidency of the Council of the EU, the health ministers of Denmark, Finland, Germany, Sweden and the Baltic countries agreed on the resilience of the EU health system as the key priority.

At the meeting, the Latvian health minister called on his colleagues to define health as an essential component of regional security and to act decisively and boldly.

"Small countries will always be in a more difficult situation due to smaller markets, so the support of large member states is very important, especially in terms of access to medicines, including innovative medicines, which is why a joint procurement of medicines needs to be agreed," Abu Meri said.

A common and solidary framework is needed on how long critical medicines should be kept in reserve, so that they are not just stored in a few national warehouses and are available to patients across the EU, he said.

During his visit, Abu Meri also met with Hans Kluge, Regional Director for Europe of the World Health Organisation (WHO), to discuss cooperation between Latvia and WHO in the current financially difficult circumstances of the organization.

The minister confirmed Latvia's support for the WHO and stressed that the expertise provided by the organization is essential for making data-based, informed and sustainable health policy decisions.

At the same time, Abu Meri stressed the importance of ensuring the continuation of the WHO Regional Office for Europe in Riga, emphasizing its importance for both Latvia and the region.