28.05.2025
Being Prepared for Crisis Without Sacrificing Quality of Life
Crisis situation
Health
Healthcare
Resilience
Safety
Think tank
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
Dean of the Latvia University Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Kristaps Jaudzems, Joins the Think Tank “Resilience of Health Care Systems”
Crisis situation
News
Participation
Resilience
Safety
Think tank
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 as the “Fifth Season”: Why Everyone’s Preparedness Matters
Crisis situation
Healthcare
Participation
Resilience
Safety
Think tank
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
Human rights in times of crisis
Health services
Healthcare
Resilience
Safety
Think tank
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.
14.03.2025
Ensuring critical services: how to plan and act in crises?
Availability of medicines
Crisis situation
Health services
Healthcare
News
Participation
Resilience
Safety
Think tank
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.
10.03.2025
Emergency Medical Service Director Liene Cipule tells Pēteris Apinis about what she witnessed and experienced in Ukraine
Crisis situation
Health services
Healthcare
Resilience
Think tank
Emergency Medical Service Director Liene Cipule, awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Recognition, shares frontline insights from Ukraine’s war hospitals. Her story highlights the urgent need for medical system resilience in the face of modern warfare and humanitarian crises.
26.02.2025
Human rights in times of crisis. Reflections on the third year of the war in Ukraine
Crisis situation
Health services
Healthcare
Participation
Resilience
Safety
Think tank
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.
06.02.2025
Know your resources in every crisis
Availability of medicines
Crisis situation
Health services
Pharmacists
Resilience
Think tank
Latvia’s first crisis handbook for pharmacists offers practical steps to maintain pharmacy services during national emergencies — from power outages to supply chain disruptions. With training and expert guidance, pharmacies are becoming key pillars of resilience.
17.01.2025
“Pacients jāārstē, kamēr dzīvs”, farmaceitu sasietās rokas un “kur tā nauda aizgāja”: svarīgākais diskusijā par zāļu cenām
Availability of medicines
Health
Health services
Healthcare
Medicine
News
Pharmaceuticals market reform
Pharmacists
Think tank
15–20% – tik liels zāļu cenu samazinājums vēl pagājušā gada vasarā bija Veselības ministrijas jaunās zāļu cenu reformas mērķis. Skaļā apņemšanās saglabāta joprojām. Tikmēr farmaceiti, aptiekas un lieltirgotāji no 1. janvāra ieviesto reformu sauc par haosu, paužot bažas par zāļu pieejamību, aptieku pastāvēšanu, farmaceitu darba sarežģīšanu un zāļu cenu veidošanos. Šie bija tikai daži no 15. janvāra raidījuma "Kas notiek Latvijā?" tematiem.
01.01.2025
Jučkoviča: Do we know where health care in Latvia is headed? We don’t have an answer to that question
Availability of medicines
Health
Health services
Healthcare
Medicine
Pharmacists
Think tank
Latvia's new drug pricing model introduces fixed wholesale mark-ups, prescription service fees, and targeted support for rural pharmacies. Learn how these changes will affect patients, pharmacies, and the overall healthcare system.
25.10.2024
Creating an effective assistance system for overcoming crises
News
Participation
Resilience
Think tank
Voluntary organizations
Volunteering in Ukraine revealed the realities of wartime logistics, resource scarcity, and civilian vulnerability. Drawing on these lessons, this piece calls for Latvia to strengthen civil-military cooperation, develop centralized aid databases, and train volunteers—before the next crisis begins.
23.10.2024
The think tank “Resilience of Healthcare Systems” established in response to the security challenges posed by the geopolitical situation
Health
Healthcare
Medicine
News
Resilience
Think tank
The newly formed Resilience of Healthcare Systems think tank brings together experts from health, defense, and education to strengthen Latvia’s healthcare resilience. With a focus on crisis preparedness, accessibility, and strategic cooperation, the initiative aims to shape a secure, people-centered system.