Laima Andrikienė: Human health, not shareholders’ profits must be a priority

Press release, 31 March 2021

Today, a group of Members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) from 10 countries addressed the Secretary-General, the Committee of Ministers and the Member States of the Council of Europe, urging them to take immediate measures to prevent a new pandemic. ‘Human health, not the profits of pharmaceutical companies or agricultural enterprises, must be the top priority,’ says Laima Andrikienė, Vice President of PACE and initiator of the declaration.

Photo by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

The signatories to the Written Declaration registered at PACE today, draw attention to the World Bank forecasts and warnings from medical experts that, without immediate measures against antimicrobial resistance (AMR), we will face a dangerous increase in population deaths in Europe and other continents and subsequently lose 300 million lives by 2050 while the world economy will have trillions of USD in losses. Solution of this problem requires a concerted and coordinated effort by all countries of the world, as national governments as well as the European Union and its institutions have not yet taken effective measures to prevent this problem. It is time for a new deal between European authorities and pharmaceutical industries on patents, financing, and other related issues.

Parliamentarians from different political groups unanimously state the need to review the policies of European countries when the production of antibiotics is transferred to Asian countries due to lower production costs. This transfer weakens European independence, which is particularly evident in the context of a crisis or a pandemic. The politicians call on the Council of Europe, its institutions and Member States to collect complete and reliable data on all AMR issues, to oblige Member States to adopt appropriate legislation that significantly limits the use of antibiotics in human health care and in agriculture, primarily in husbandry.

The Declaration

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Selija Levin

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