Minister of Health Dr. Poppy Kanari participated in the proceedings of the Informal Meeting of the Council of EU Health Ministers held by the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU in Stockholm.
During the meeting, Health Ministers discussed issues related to Member States' crisis preparedness in relation to equitable and safe access to pharmaceutical products. The Council also addressed the issue of shortages of medicines experienced by some Member States and the equal access of European citizens to innovative medicines through a process that will ensure the sustainability of Member States' health systems. The "27" also had the opportunity to exchange views on ways in which they can contribute to the recovery and further development of Ukraine's health care system.
The first item on the agenda was the preparedness of Member States in the face of the crisis. The Minister of Health first welcomed the recent adoption of the proposal for the revision of the European Pharmaceutical legislation and thanked the European Commission. In her intervention, she then thanked the Presidency for the opportunity to discuss this issue which, based on the experience gained by Member States from the COVID-19 pandemic, is an essential public health issue. It has become clear, he said, that early and adequate preparation is the best way to deal with future health threats and risks. Such a capacity to prepare in the short and long term is provided to Member States by the European Health Union, under which Member States cooperate to identify, prepare for and respond collectively to health crises.
Regarding the safe access of all European citizens to medicines, Ms Kanari said that dialogue between all stakeholders (industry, patients, etc.) is necessary to ensure, potentially, the future development of new innovative medicines while ensuring the sustainability of Member States' health systems. He stressed the need to provide incentives for placing pharmaceutical products on small markets. Cyprus, he said, has shown particular interest in cooperating with other Member States either in admission agreements or in joint procurement agreements in order to secure innovative and costly medicines at affordable prices. Moreover, with regard to solidarity between the countries of the European Union, all European citizens should benefit to the same extent in the provision of pharmaceutical treatment for innovative therapies.
During the working lunch of the Health Ministers, the discussion focused on the exchange of views on ways to strengthen and recover the health system of Ukraine. During the discussion, there was an online intervention by the Ukrainian Minister of Health, who was invited for this purpose by the Swedish Presidency.
In the margins of the Council, the Minister of Health also had the opportunity for a private exchange of views with her counterparts from other MS on various issues related to the health sector such as equal access of patients to innovative medicines, joint procurement of medicines and other pharmaceutical products and sustainability of health systems.
During her stay in Stockholm, Ms Kanari visited the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), toured the Centre's premises and was briefed on its operations. She also participated in a meeting with the Director of the Centre Dr Andrea Ammon and members of her staff and discussed issues related to the effective epidemiological surveillance and control of infectious diseases in our country. They exchanged views on possible ways to strengthen Cyprus' cooperation with the Centre mainly for purposes of evaluation and upgrading of epidemiological surveillance programmes, digitisation of the infectious diseases data collection system and strategic planning of targeted programmes. Special reference was made to the surveillance and control of antimicrobial resistance, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS and the management of the problem of "Aedes aegypti" mosquitoes detected in Cyprus. Dr. Ammon assured the Minister of Health that the ECDC will continue to be a facilitator and supporter of our country's efforts to protect and enhance public health.
(DK)
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