Pediatricians from different European countries have warned about the shortage of medicines for children, in an open letter addressed to their health ministers, a copy of which was obtained by AFP on Saturday.
In this letter, signed in particular by Andréas Werner, president of the French Association of Ambulatory Pediatrics (AFPA), and Thomas Fischbach (BVKJ, its German equivalent), the doctors state that “the health of our children and young people is endangered by the lack of medicines throughout Europe”.
“It is urgent to find a fast, reliable and lasting solution”, they write in this letter addressed to the Health Ministers of Germany, France, South Tyrol (Italy), Austria and Switzerland.
The need for basic stocks in Europe
“We consider that it is the responsibility of policy makers to guarantee sufficient production and supply to accumulate reserves of important medicines for basic pediatric care in Europe,” they write, according to the German version of this letter translated by AFP, the French version not being available until Tuesday, according to Dr. Werner.
In particular, they stress the need for antibiotics, pain relievers, fever and asthma medicines, as well as vaccinations.
“Without children and young people in good health, our society has no future!” They conclude in their letter, also signed by the president of the European Confederation of Pediatrics (ECPCP), Laura Reali.
Supply tensions in recent months
The German Health Minister, Karl Lauterbach, reacted on Twitter this Saturday to this letter, revealed by the German newspaper Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung, saying that the concern of pediatricians was “justified”. He recalled that the German parliament is currently considering a law on delivery problems adopted by the German government in early April.
In France, in recent months, tensions have weighed on the stocks of various drugs. This winter, several antibiotics, including amoxicillin, which are widely prescribed to children, have run out.
In early February, the Minister of Health announced a plan to prevent any future crisis. In particular, the government announced that it was going to authorize price increases for certain essential generics, in order to encourage manufacturers to continue with their production.
Source: BFM TV
