As part of the health collaboration agreement signed between Malta and Cyprus, the Minister for Health and Active Aging Jo Etienne Abela welcomed a delegation from Cyprus led by the Minister for Health Michael Damianos.
During these days several meetings were held during which it was discussed how Malta and Cyprus can work together in order to overcome the common challenges that both countries experience as small countries in the European Union in relation to access to medicines. The two ministers agreed to continue working together with other countries especially small ones within the EU, in order to look for solutions for the purchase of innovative medicines and medicines that are needed in small amounts so that through this collaboration benefit patients.
Minister Jo Etienne Abela also claimed how the two countries will now be lobbying together with the other 25 member states of the EU to agree to this policy. He explained that in order to do this there is a need for a dialogue between other small countries like us and the industries concerned. “Through this agreement the Government is increasing its efforts so that more patients have access to medicines, as and when they need it, even when the demand is low,” concluded Minister Abela.
Minister Michael Damianos said how this was a day of very valuable discussions about the various challenges that we, as two small EU countries, are facing.
“We, among others, discussed the challenges regarding the availability of medicines in Malta, but more importantly the Cypriot proposal for voluntary cooperation of the EU Member States for the joint acquisition of medicinal products. We will keep this discussion alive for the mutual benefit of our people and patients throughout the EU,” said Dr. Damianos.
Meanwhile, visits were also made to a number of ‘batch release’ sites in the pharmaceutical field where the Cypriot delegation could see the work and production of a number of medicines.
The two Ministers ended this visit in a meeting with representatives of the regulators, the CPSU and the pharmaceutical industry of the two countries and Malta Enterprise.
Photo: MHA
