Healthcare and defense are not separate - Abu Meri

RIGA - Healthcare and defense are not separate - it is impossible to do without hospitals, medicines and physicians in the event of a war, Health Minister Hosams Abu Meri (New Unity) said at a conference on pharmaceutical innovation in Latvia and Europe on Wednesday.

Commenting on a strategy developed by the Latvian Association of Pharmaceutical Producers, Abu Meri pointed out that when the state cannot do enough, businesses come forward with a strategy that provides stability for the next decade.

At the moment, in order to produce anything, companies need help from India, China and other countries, therefore Latvia has to define which direction it wants to take, said Abu Meri. At the same time, there are many producers in Latvia that are very good at innovation, he said.

At the European Union (EU) level, it is necessary to understand what each country's producers can contribute, said the minister. He also stressed that the EU needed to develop additional financing solutions to support manufacturing in Europe.

Abu Meri believes that resilience of the healthcare system should now be considered in two categories: at the national level and at the European level.

Cooperation is of utmost importance, said Abu Meri. "Of course, we can argue about some things, each defending their own interests, but when we talk about national security and the EU, we are all on the same page and we all have to work together to make Europe notice us," he said.

The latest strategy of the Latvian pharmaceutical industry was developed by the Latvian Association of Pharmaceutical Producers in cooperation with pharmaceutical companies Olpha, Grindeks, Pharmidea, the University of Latvia, Riga Technical University, Riga Stradins University, and the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis.

The strategy envisages Latvia becoming a center of pharmaceutical innovation in Europe, achieving turnover of EUR 1.5 billion and bringing at least 100 new medicines to the market.