Latvia’s healthcare system must be prepared to function fully during “X Hour” and in the face of geopolitical shocks, Speaker of the Saeima Daiga Mieriņa (Union of Greens and Farmers) said on Friday while opening the Baltic Assembly (BA) conference “Health as an Investment in Baltic Security and the Future” at the Saeima.
According to the Saeima Press Service, Mieriņa stressed that healthcare plays a decisive role in the security of the Baltic region and in each country’s civil defence. Referring to Ukraine’s experience, she noted that war is still ongoing in Europe and that hybrid attacks are now a daily reality across all European Union member states, making it essential for healthcare systems and hospitals to be ready for geopolitical disruptions.
Mieriņa underlined that Latvia’s healthcare sector continues to face major challenges, including insufficient funding, limited access to and quality of services, a shortage of young doctors in the regions, and low public trust in the healthcare system.
“We spend only around 60% of the EU average on healthcare, but there are also visible improvements that will significantly affect service availability in the future,” the Speaker said.
Baltic Assembly President Jānis Vucāns emphasised that health is the backbone of societal resilience, noting that the pandemic, demographic challenges, and the mental health crisis have clearly demonstrated that
“a state is only as strong as the health of its population.”
Vucāns also pointed out that strengthening regional cooperation opens opportunities for progress in health research, data sharing, and the introduction of digital innovations. He warned that weak healthcare preparedness for crises poses a security risk, stressing the need to build up strategic reserves.
“Investments in healthcare are investments in long-term security,” Vucāns said, calling on conference participants to strengthen dialogue and joint action at the Baltic level.
Parliamentarians agreed that health security issues must be addressed jointly by the Baltic states, positively assessing the already launched joint procurement of medicines, which helps reduce drug shortages and lower costs for patients. Mieriņa and Vucāns also highlighted the importance of establishing a joint particle therapy centre for oncology patients, which would significantly improve cancer treatment in the region and strengthen the Baltic states’ participation in the European research ecosystem.
The conference’s keynote presentation, “The Impact of Healthcare on Demography and National Security in the Baltic States,” was delivered by Malina Müller, Head of the Health Economics Department at the WifOR Institute. She noted that, for example, a €20 million investment in cardiovascular disease prevention in Estonia could generate €127 million in social value over 15 years—nearly an eightfold return—while saving 315 lives.
Müller stressed that targeted investments in prevention can significantly reduce the burden on healthcare systems
and strengthen long-term national resilience.
Ombudsperson Karina Palkova emphasised that access to healthcare is a fundamental human rights issue and only secondarily an economic investment with measurable returns. According to her, the state has an obligation to ensure equal and accessible healthcare as a basic right for every resident.
As reported, the conference is intended as a platform for cooperation among parliamentarians, governments, and experts to strengthen understanding of the societal value of health and promote evidence-based policymaking. The event aims to formulate concrete policy recommendations for future action and Baltic cooperation following the conclusion of Latvia’s presidency.
Discussions also cover different financing approaches in the Baltic states, health issues linked to demography, maternal health as a strategic investment in national security, and the physical and psychological health of conscripts as a foundation of national defence.
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