EU ministerial meeting on healthcare personnel and medicine availability

The health ministers of the EU Member States will discuss the availability of healthcare personnel and medicines at their informal meeting in Brussels on 23–24 April. 

Finland considers it important to ensure the availability of medicines and therefore supports the pharmaceutical package that the EU is preparing on preparations for disruptions in the availability of medicines. It is particularly important to ensure the availability of medicines that have been on the market for a long time and proven to be effective and that are often affordable. The EU’s own production capacity must be improved in respect of critical materials.

Finland welcomes discussion at the EU level on challenges related to the availability of healthcare personnel and wants to promote cooperation in order to set common objectives and share best practices.  However, Finland considers that the Member States themselves are primarily responsible for the provision of health services and for human resources issues. 

Permanent Secretary Veli-Mikko Niemi will represent Finland at the meeting. No decisions will be made at the informal ministerial meetings.

Inquiries:

Pasi Korhonen, Director of International Affairs, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, tel. +358 29 516 3175 
Kaisa Lähdepuro, Senior Specialist, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, tel. +358 295 163 419
Email addresses are in the format [email protected]