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Health Minister Dr. Poppy Nicolaidou Kanari participated in the EU Health Ministers' Council meeting, which took place today in Luxembourg.
The main topic of discussion during the Health Ministers' meeting was the strengthening of the ecosystem for medicines, with the aim of supporting innovation and access to medicines. In her intervention, Ms Kanari advocated equal access to medicines and the creation of a single market, pointing out the related problems that Cyprus faces as a small member state. As a measure to address the problem, the Health Minister highlighted the offer of incentives to pharmaceutical companies, such as the reduction and/or exemption of fees, as well as possible modification of data protection periods for products placed specifically in small member states. Referring to the need to ensure competitiveness in the development of innovative medicines, the Minister advocated focusing research on areas needed to meet unmet medical needs and eliminating time-consuming procedures for the certification of innovative pharmaceutical products.
Health Ministers also adopted a Council Recommendation to strengthen EU action to tackle Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) as part of the One Health approach, which includes both human and animal health and the protection of plants and the environment. The Minister supported this Recommendation stating that tackling the problem requires multi-level, cross-sectoral and high-level international cooperation.
During the meeting, the Ministers had the opportunity to exchange views on the French initiative to establish a European day in memory of the victims of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Minister of Health was in favour of the proposal, stating that such a day would be an opportunity to remember both the victims of the pandemic and the frontline health professionals who fought to tackle the pandemic and save lives.
The Council meeting also addressed the issue of Mental Health and the "27" were informed by the Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Ms Stella Kyriakidou, of the recent Communication issued by the Commission on this issue. During the working lunch, the Health Ministers discussed the issue of tackling loneliness and the need to increase social connectedness with particular emphasis on supporting youth and the elderly.
In the margins of the Council, the Minister of Health held a bilateral meeting with her Dutch counterpart Ernst Kuipers and exchanged views on the prevention and effective treatment of antimicrobial resistance. In this context, the two Ministers referred to their countries' experience and to ways of bilateral cooperation on this issue. Finally, they decided to continue the discussion on the implementation of cooperation as soon as possible, with the ultimate goal of signing a Memorandum of Understanding.
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