News

11.06.2025

The recent drone strike by Ukraine’s Security Forces on Russian strategic bomber airbases stands out as one of Ukraine’s most impressive operational victories. At the same time, this meticulously coordinated operation by Ukrainian security services highlights vulnerabilities that both we and our allies must realistically prepare for in the near future.

28.05.2025

Almost every public awareness campaign on national security emphasizes the individual responsibility of citizens to prepare for crises — such as maintaining essential supplies or assembling a 72-hour emergency kit. This requirement is logical: like other nations implementing a comprehensive defence model, Latvia must engage the entire population in resilience and civil preparedness. In practice, individuals are expected to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours, and ideally seven to ten days, until assistance arrives.

28.05.2025

How can we be prepared for crisis situations without compromising our quality of life? This question is explored in the public radio programme “Kā labāk dzīvot” ("How to Live Better") featuring insights from Sandra Zilberta, Chair of the think tank Health Systems Resilience, and Andrejs Petrovs, co-founder of the same think tank and Project Manager at the Youth Section of the Latvian Transatlantic Organisation.

09.05.2025

In May of this year, the membership of the think tank “Resilience of Health Care Systems” expanded. Kristaps Jaudzems, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences at the Latvia University (LU), has joined the ranks of leading experts and industry leaders.

24.04.2025

Crisis preparedness is not panic—it’s peace of mind. In this reflection, the Chair of the Health System Resilience think tank urges individuals and communities in Latvia to treat crisis planning like preparing for a new season: calmly, wisely, and together.

22.03.2025

Crises such as hybrid threats, armed conflicts, natural disasters, pandemics, and economic turmoil frequently pose significant challenges to the protection of human rights. In these circumstances, states and the international community must ensure that fundamental freedoms and rights remain safeguarded—even when drastic measures become necessary.

17.03.2025

Latvia’s medicine shortages signal a deeper systemic risk. Raina Dūrēja-Dombrovska calls for urgent state action: strategic reserves, support for local drug producers, and a clear long-term healthcare strategy to protect patients and national security.

14.03.2025

Crises—from wars to pandemics—can disrupt critical services without warning. Liene Cipule, Director of the Emergency Medical Service, argues that Latvia must shift from passive hope to proactive planning, ensuring hospitals, pharmacies, and infrastructure are prepared to respond rapidly and effectively.

27.02.2025

Medicine access is a matter of national security. In this reflection, a healthcare expert calls on the state to create structured medicine reserve systems and clear crisis protocols, while urging citizens and pharmacists to take active roles in safeguarding community health.

26.02.2025

Crises test the strength of human rights protections—especially the right to health. In this piece, a Latvian human rights expert explores how conflict, disaster, and systemic gaps challenge healthcare access, and how community cooperation and state readiness must evolve together.

13.12.2024

The think tank Resilience of Health Care Systems unites experts from health, defense, and education to address medicine availability and sector sustainability in Latvia. As reforms take effect and EU compliance is questioned, pharmacy leaders call for balanced, people-centered policies.

28.11.2024

Crisis can strike swiftly—and healthcare is central to national security. A founder of the Resilience of Healthcare Systems think tank calls for urgent action: building effective medicine reserves, strengthening local production, and ensuring frontline readiness in Latvia.