Parliamentarians highlight the importance of cooperation in the health and welfare sector

On 5 March 2021, the digital meeting of the Health, Welfare and Family Committee of the Baltic Assembly was held.

During the meeting, parliamentarians discussed public health and health care in the light of COVID-19 and renewing sustainable social growth in the Baltic states. "For more than a year the world and the Baltic states face a long list of challenges that are posed by COVID-19. These days we highly appreciate the work carried out by our medical professionals and other experts. We need to closely listen to the experts when deciding about our future steps. The Baltic Assembly has always valued concerns and suggestions expressed by experts in their fields and this meeting is not an exception," said Chair of the Health, Welfare and Family Committee of the Baltic Assembly Antanas Vinkus.

Experts expressed the need for the Baltic states to cooperate more and exchange information regarding the vaccination process, as well as experience with restrictions. People, who have been vulnerable the most during this time, need to be taken into account.  Governmental representatives agreed that the Baltic states should cooperate more in these areas. Parliamentarians also discussed many significant issues that will be important for the future work of the Committee, such as what could be done jointly by the Baltic states and what could be carried out on a parliamentary level to foster the cooperation.

During the meeting, parliamentarians, experts, high-level governmental experts as well as international partners assessed the situation in the Baltic states and tried to find possible cooperation areas for the countries. The meeting will help in formulation of the recommendations of the Baltic Assembly to the governments of the Baltic states in 2021 as well as evaluate the implementation of recommendations in 2020.