AGP Executive Report

Health & Care Oversight: Latvia’s Ombudsman reports serious children’s rights violations at a care home in Latgale, citing inadequate nutrition and funding, weak cooperation with guardianship courts, and staff who reportedly speak little Latvian despite children’s Latvian mother tongue. Public Health & Preparedness: Europe-wide guidance is pushing households to prepare for major crises, including medicines, water and food supplies, as governments respond to war, extreme weather and cyber threats. Security Pressure on Health Systems: Reports say Germany is preparing for possible mass casualties, with military hospitals potentially overwhelmed and civilian facilities expected to support wartime care. Local Health Sector Links to Industry: Latvia’s life sciences delegation met German medical technology and digital health players in Berlin, pitching cooperation across research, clinical trials and manufacturing. Policy & Costs: The IMF warns Latvia’s growth outlook is weakening and inflation pressures remain, raising the stakes for sustainable public spending that can affect health services.

Child Welfare Alarm: Latvia’s Ombudsman reports serious children’s rights violations at a Latgale care home, including inadequate nutrition funding (under €200 per child per year), weak cooperation with guardianship courts, and staff who reportedly speak little Latvian despite Latvian being the children’s mother tongue. AI Governance: World leaders including Latvia back a UN-linked push for stronger global guardrails on “frontier AI,” with UN chief António Guterres welcoming calls for standards, verification, and an international institution to manage risks. Health Tech Trade: Latvia’s life sciences and digital health firms met German partners in Berlin to expand medical technology, pharma and health-data cooperation, aiming for joint product development, clinical research and market entry. Economic Pressure on Health Systems: The IMF warns Latvia’s growth is slowing and inflation pressures persist, urging a credible medium-term fiscal plan—an environment that can strain public services. Security Spillover to Healthcare: Reports say European countries, including Germany, are preparing health infrastructure for possible conflict scenarios, highlighting how war planning is now reaching hospitals and emergency readiness.

Latvia Economy Watch: The IMF says Latvia’s growth rebounded to 2.1% in 2025 but expects it to slow to 1.8% in 2026, with inflation staying sticky due to energy and supply disruptions—raising pressure on public finances and long-term reforms. EU Red Tape Push: Thirteen EU states, including Latvia, back an “exercise in legislative deep-cleaning” to cut unnecessary rules and administrative burdens, aiming to keep EU law pro-innovation and more workable for sectors including health and life sciences. Health Sector & Medicines: The EU’s medicines committee (CHMP) has finished its review of ipidacrine-containing drugs, recommending tighter, better-defined uses for nerve-damage symptom relief and restricting several other indications. Local Health Governance: Latvia’s healthcare system is under scrutiny as reporting highlights children’s healthcare being treated more like a formal priority than a practical one. Life Sciences Trade: Latvia’s life sciences and digital health firms are pushing into Germany via a Berlin mission, pitching cooperation across the full development cycle—from research and clinical trials to manufacturing and certification. Health Security Planning (Europe): With warnings of possible Russian hybrid attacks, Germany and other countries are preparing health infrastructure and evacuation plans for worst-case scenarios.

Military-Health Preparedness: Germany is warning its healthcare system is not ready for a possible Russian attack, with plans to expand military hospital capacity and even reopen an underground facility, while Lithuania updates evacuation routes and other European states step up resilience planning. Latvia Health & Pharma Regulation: The EMA has finished its review of ipidacrine-containing medicines, recommending tighter, better-defined approved uses and removing several indications, including neuritis-related and demyelinating conditions. Local Health Workforce Pressure: Latvia’s healthcare workers are preparing to protest, demanding the health minister’s resignation and pay rises of at least 30%. Life Sciences Trade Push: Latvia’s life sciences delegation met German medical technology and digital health partners in Berlin, pitching pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and health data use for joint product development and clinical research. Public Health Policy: Latvia is moving toward a full ban on importing food products from Russia and Belarus, extending beyond agricultural goods and feed to cover a wide range of foods and even medicinal herbs. Mental Health Spotlight: A Latvian endurance hiker is walking around the world to raise awareness of mental health, sharing how movement helped his own recovery. Access to Psychedelic Care: PsyAccess launched a registry-verified directory of licensed ketamine and psychedelic-assisted therapy providers across 27 European countries, highlighting uneven access.

Latvian Health Policy & Regulation: KNAB will investigate ZZS for allegedly handing out bottles of black balsam to senior citizens, with the party saying it was presented as “medicine” for people aged 85—raising questions about misuse of political funding and gift rules. Medicines Update: The EMA’s human medicines committee has finished its review of ipidacrine-containing medicines, recommending tighter, better-defined approved uses and dropping several indications, including neuritis-related uses and demyelinating diseases. Trade & Health Sector Links: Latvia’s life sciences and digital health delegation met German medical technology and biotech partners in Berlin, aiming for joint product development, clinical research, and market entry—while a separate LIAA mission highlighted German investment projects worth over EUR 600 million, including defence and dual-use areas that can overlap with health tech. Public Health Access in Europe: PsyAccess launched a registry-verified directory of licensed ketamine and psychedelic-assisted therapy providers across 27 European countries, showing how uneven access is—Latvia is listed with just one verified provider. Food Safety & Sanctions: Latvia is moving toward a broader ban on importing food products from Russia and Belarus, extending beyond agricultural goods and feed to items like sweets, sauces, seeds, medicinal herbs, spices, oils and flour products.

Latvia–Germany Life Sciences Push: A LIAA-led trade mission in Berlin brought Latvian life sciences firms, universities and healthcare institutions to meet German medical technology, biotech and research groups, focusing on joint product development, clinical research and market entry (Latvia’s pharma exports to Germany hit EUR 44.3m in 2025). EU Security & Health Systems: French and Polish leaders warn Russia’s hybrid threat could escalate, with governments boosting protection of critical infrastructure and even preparing health infrastructure for major conflict scenarios. EMA Drug Safety Update: The EU medicines regulator (CHMP) finished its review of ipidacrine-containing medicines, recommending tighter approved uses for specific nerve-damage symptom relief and limiting several older indications. Mental Health Access in Europe: PsyAccess launched a registry-verified directory of licensed ketamine and psychedelic-assisted therapy providers across 27 countries, highlighting uneven access—Latvia is listed with one verified provider. Local Health Policy Watch: KNAB will investigate ZZS for allegedly giving seniors “black balsam” as election-linked “medicine,” raising questions about misuse of party funding rules. Public Health & Nutrition Policy: Latvia is moving toward a broader ban on importing food products from Russia and Belarus, extending beyond agricultural goods and feed to items like sweets, sauces and some plant and medicinal products.

Regulatory Update (EU/Medicines): The EMA has finished its review of ipidacrine-containing medicines and recommends tighter, better-defined uses—now limited to symptom relief for specific nerve-damage conditions, with several older indications removed. Public Health & Policy (Latvia): Latvia is moving toward a broader ban on importing products from Russia and Belarus, with amendments extending restrictions from agricultural goods and animal feed to many food items and even some medicinal herbs and seeds. Health Governance (Latvia): KNAB will investigate allegations that the ZZS handed out black balsam to senior citizens, raising questions about whether political funding rules were followed. Mental Health (Latvia-linked): A Latvian endurance hiker is taking his push for better mental health around the world on foot, aiming for a world record. Access to Treatment (Europe): PsyAccess launched a registry-verified directory listing licensed ketamine and psychedelic-assisted therapy providers across 27 European countries, highlighting uneven access. Wellness Trend (Europe/Travel): “Sleep tourism” is growing, with more travellers seeking destinations and hotels designed to improve rest and recovery.

Healthcare Workforce Pressure: Latvia’s health and social care workers’ union (LVSADA) is keeping its demand for at least a 30% pay rise for all healthcare workers in the 2027 state budget, citing shortages and heavy workloads, and plans a protest outside the Cabinet of Ministers while calling for Health Minister Abu Meri to resign. Regulator Update (Medicines): The EU’s EMA has finished its review of ipidacrine-containing medicines, recommending tighter, better-defined uses—no longer for several nervous-system conditions—and limiting indications to specific symptom relief and certain cases such as Alzheimer’s and intestinal atony. Mental Health & Access (Psychedelic Care): PsyAccess launched a free, registry-verified directory of licensed ketamine and psychedelic-assisted therapy providers across 27 European countries, highlighting very uneven access, with Latvia listed as having one verified provider. Public Health Policy (Food Imports): Latvia is moving toward a broader ban on importing food products from Russia and Belarus, extending beyond agricultural goods and feed to items like sweets, biscuits, sauces, ready meals, seeds, medicinal herbs, spices, oils and flour products. Anti-Corruption Watch: KNAB will investigate claims that ZZS distributed bottles of black balsam to seniors during the pre-election period, with the bureau pointing to rules limiting party spending on alcohol and gifts. Local Wellness Trend: “Sleep tourism” is rising as travellers seek holidays built around rest and better sleep, with many willing to pay more for sleep-focused accommodation.

Healthcare Workers’ Protest: Latvia’s health and social care workers’ union LVSADA is keeping pressure on the government for a 30% pay rise for all healthcare staff in the 2027 budget, and plans a protest outside the Cabinet of Ministers while also calling for Health Minister Abu Meri to resign. Health Policy Watch: The union says the draft budget response mentions extra money for the sector but doesn’t clearly secure the staffing funding needed to prevent a healthcare crisis. Anti-Corruption & Health Governance: KNAB will investigate ZZS for giving seniors “black balsam” bottles at an event, after questions were raised about whether political funding was used improperly for alcohol-related items. Sanctions & Food Safety: Latvia is moving toward a full ban on importing food products from Russia and Belarus, expanding beyond agricultural goods to items like sweets, sauces, ready-made soups, seeds, medicinal herbs, spices, oils and flour products. Access to Mental Health Treatments: PsyAccess launched a registry-verified directory of licensed ketamine and psychedelic-assisted therapy providers across 27 European countries, noting Latvia has just one verified provider. Mental Health in Focus: A Latvian endurance hiker is walking around the world to support mental health, sharing that movement helped him manage long-term struggles.

Healthcare Workers Protest: Latvia’s health and social care workers’ union (LVSADA) is keeping its demand for at least a 30% pay rise for all healthcare staff in the 2027 budget, planning a protest outside the Cabinet of Ministers and calling for Health Minister Hosams Abu Meri to resign, citing staff shortages, heavy workloads, and a draft response that doesn’t clearly fund the needed human-resources increase. Children’s Care Accountability: Latvia’s State Audit Office says children’s healthcare is treated as a priority “on paper,” but services aren’t guaranteed equally; in audited regions, institutions failed to provide relevant services in 71% of cases, with access still depending too much on residence and families’ ability to find solutions. Mental Health Spotlight: A Latvian hiker, Kristians Karklins, is walking around the world to support better mental health, sharing how the journey helps him maintain happiness after years of struggle. Psychedelic Treatment Access: PsyAccess launched a registry-verified directory of licensed ketamine and psychedelic-assisted therapy providers across 27 European countries, noting Latvia has just one verified provider. Russian Food Ban Moves Forward: Latvia is moving toward a full import ban covering food products from Russia and Belarus, expanding beyond agricultural goods and feed. AirBaltic Restructuring: airBaltic has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US to restructure debt while keeping flights running as scheduled, citing acute financial stress linked to the Iran-war fuel shock.

Healthcare Workers Protest: Latvia’s health and social care workers’ union LVSADA is keeping pressure on the government, demanding at least a 30% pay rise for all healthcare workers in the 2027 budget, plus a review of salary rules and regular pay checks, and plans a protest outside the Cabinet of Ministers while calling for Health Minister Hosams Abu Meri’s resignation. Audit Warning on Children’s Care: Latvia’s State Audit Office says children’s healthcare is treated as a “priority” in law, but in practice services aren’t guaranteed equally; in audited regions, healthcare institutions failed to provide relevant services in 71% of cases. Russian Food Ban Expands: Latvia is moving toward a full import ban on Russian and Belarus-origin food, not just agricultural goods and animal feed, covering items like biscuits, chocolate, sauces, ready-made soups, seeds, medicinal herbs, spices, oils and flour products. Sanctions Transparency: Latvia’s Central Statistical Bureau published an updated list of companies registered in Latvia that trade with Russia or Belarus, stressing it’s not a list of sanctions violators but a guide for consumers and businesses to boycott if they choose. Mental Health Access (EU): PsyAccess launched a registry-verified directory of licensed ketamine and psychedelic-assisted therapy providers across 27 European countries, highlighting how uneven access is, including Latvia having only one verified provider. AirBaltic Restructuring: airBaltic filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to restructure debt amid aviation stress linked to the Iran war; flights are expected to continue during the process.

Healthcare Workers Protest: Latvia’s Health and Social Care Workers’ Trade Union (LVSADA) is keeping pressure on the 2027 state budget, demanding pay rises of at least 30% for all healthcare workers and calling for Health Minister Hosams Abu Meri to resign, with a protest planned outside the Cabinet of Ministers. Children’s Care Audit: Latvia’s State Audit Office says children’s healthcare is still “largely on paper” — despite a legal priority and 93 million euros spent on outpatient care in 2024, access is unequal and in 71% of cases reviewed, institutions didn’t provide the promised services. Plant-Based Food R&D: Finland’s VTT and partners finished the €3m RETHINK programme to make plant-based ingredient production more profitable, focusing on better use of oats, legumes and processing by-products. Sanctions-Related Business List: Latvia’s CSB published an updated list of companies trading with Russia or Belarus (including medicines and food), sparking debate over morality versus legality and encouraging consumer boycotts. airBaltic Restructuring: airBaltic filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in New York, citing acute financial stress tied to the Iran war, while saying flights continue as scheduled.

Healthcare Workers Protest: Latvia’s Health and Social Care Workers’ Trade Union (LVSADA) is keeping pressure on the government, demanding at least a 30% pay rise for all healthcare workers in the 2027 budget and calling for Health Minister Hosams Abu Meri to resign, with a protest planned outside the Cabinet of Ministers. Audit Warning on Children’s Care: Latvia’s State Audit Office says children’s healthcare is treated as a priority “on paper” only, with many regions failing to provide funded secondary outpatient programmes—meaning access depends too much on where families live and what they can arrange themselves. AirBaltic Restructuring: Latvia’s airBaltic has filed for U.S. Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to restructure debt amid aviation stress linked to the Iran war; flights are expected to continue as scheduled while the process runs toward completion around June 2027. Plant-Based Food R&D: VTT and Finnish food companies wrapped up the RETHINK programme, aiming to make plant-based ingredient production more profitable by extracting value from oats and legumes and improving processing routes.

Children’s Healthcare Gap: Latvia’s State Audit says children’s healthcare is a “priority” on paper, but services aren’t guaranteed equally. In 2024, the state spent €93m on outpatient care for children, while families paid at least €14.5m more. The audit found that in 71% of cases across five regions, funded secondary outpatient programmes for children weren’t actually provided by institutions. Public Health & Access: The report stresses access depends too much on where a child lives and whether families can find solutions themselves. Food & Nutrition Innovation: Finland’s VTT and seven food companies wrapped up the €3m RETHINK programme, aiming to make plant-based ingredient production more profitable by using oats, legumes and processing side streams more fully—developing new processing routes and product concepts. Local Health Risk: Latvia’s welfare minister Reinis Uzulnieks was dismissed after police stopped him driving with about 3.5 per mille alcohol, with leaders calling it a serious danger to public health and safety.

Health Policy & Safety: Latvia’s welfare minister Reinis Uzulnieks was dismissed after police stopped him near Riga for drink-driving at about 3.09–3.5 per mille, far above the 0.5 limit; the car was seized and a criminal case opened, with the president and prime minister calling the act a serious danger to public health and lives. Air Travel & Access to Care: airBaltic filed for Chapter 11 protection in New York to restructure debt amid the Iran-war-driven fuel shock; the airline says flights will continue during the court process and it has secured financing commitments (about €350–€405m) to support operations. Rehabilitation & Mental Health Support: Latvian Public Media and Ziedot.lv raised €138,995 for Ukrainian soldiers’ comprehensive rehabilitation, including psychological support and reintegration services. Nutrition & Wellness Industry: A Latvian consumer-focused study looks at what people really think about “high in protein” marketing—whether it’s a healthy nutrition trend or just a label. Food Systems & Plant-Based Diets: Finland’s VTT and food companies push for more profitable plant-based ingredient production, aiming to support the shift toward plant-based diets with new ingredient development and tighter industry cooperation. Local Health Risks in Agriculture: Latvia’s cranberry harvest is delayed by unusually wet conditions, with higher disease pressure and pest damage expected to reduce yields. Public Health & Community: A mental health festival “Ogle” is set to become a tradition, highlighting growing attention to wellbeing events.

AirBaltic Restructuring: Latvia’s national carrier airBaltic has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in New York, citing the Iran war’s impact on fuel costs and debt. The airline says it secured about €405m ($405m) in financing, plans to defer or cancel parts of its Airbus and Pratt & Whitney deliveries, and expects court-supervised restructuring to run until June next year. Public Health & Safety: Latvia’s welfare minister Reinis Uzulnieks was dismissed after police stopped him driving with a blood alcohol level around 3.09–3.5 per mille, far above the legal limit; the case is now criminal and his party removed support. Rehabilitation Support: Latvian Public Media and Ziedot.lv raised €138,995 for Ukrainian soldiers’ comprehensive rehabilitation, covering physical and mental trauma and reintegration support. Plant-Based Nutrition Push: Finland’s VTT and food companies are working on more profitable plant-based ingredient production, aiming to support the shift toward plant-based diets with new inventions and tighter industry cooperation. Food Supply Watch: Latvia’s large-fruited cranberry harvest is delayed by unusually wet conditions, with higher disease pressure and expected smaller yields. Healthcare Tech & Access: Tet is developing AI solutions for healthcare, adding to Latvia’s growing focus on digital health tools.