Europe wakes up to critical medicine dependency on China, looks for ways to prevent possible crisis scenarios

Europe has finally woken up to the dire possibility of having to depend on Asian countries, primarily China, should a future health crisis comes, and is now preparing to tackle such eventualities. To enhance the European Union’s readiness for future health emergencies, a coalition of health ministers from 11 EU countries has urged a reduction in reliance on a limited number of nations for essential medications, including antibiotics and anaesthetics, news agency Reuters reported on March 9.

This recommendation comes ahead of the European Commission’s upcoming proposals for a draft Critical Medicine Act (CMA), which is set to be unveiled on Tuesday.

In a letter dated March 8, which was obtained by Reuters and subsequently published by Euronews, the ministers highlighted that between 80% and 90% of antibiotics are produced in Asia, predominantly in China.

They cautioned that this dependency poses a significant risk, as it could easily be exploited by foreign entities, jeopardizing Europe’s security and defense capabilities.

Among the signatories of the letter was German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach.

The letter identified several factors contributing to the shift of medicine production away from Europe, including price pressures on low-cost generics, as well as rising labor and environmental costs. The ministers called on the EU Commission to incorporate the CMA into a wider security strategy.They suggested that this could follow the example set by the United States, where pharmaceuticals are integrated into the supply chains for defense goods. Furthermore, they recommended increasing domestic manufacturing and establishing centralized stockpiles wherever feasible.The ministers emphasized that numerous medications, such as antibiotics, anaesthetics, and thrombolytics, are crucial not only for civilian healthcare but also for military operations and emergency situations.