Strengthening the security and availability of medicines, improving preparedness for health emergencies and expanding cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean are essential to building resilient healthcare systems, Cyprus’ Health Minister Neophytos Charalambides said on Tuesday.
Addressing the 22nd Annual Economist Cyprus Summit in Nicosia, under the theme ‘The Geopolitics of Health: Investing in Resilience’, Charalambides said Cyprus’s position as an EU island member state in the Eastern Mediterranean made it particularly exposed to disruptions in international supply chains and instability in the region.
He said the pandemic had demonstrated how health threats could disrupt economic activity, education and public services, while events beyond national borders could directly affect the delivery of healthcare.
During Cyprus’s Presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2026, particular importance was attached to the security and availability of medicines, he said, referring to the provisional agreement on the Critical Medicines Act as an important step towards strengthening supply chains, increasing manufacturing capacity and enhancing cooperation among member states.
‘Implementation of the agreement would be crucial, particularly for patients in smaller markets’, he added.
He also said that Cyprus’s dependence on transport links and the size of its pharmaceutical market left it vulnerable to supply disruptions and commercial decisions taken elsewhere.
The Minister also stressed the importance of health diplomacy and regional cooperation, saying countries in the Eastern Mediterranean could work together on sharing information about emerging infections and antimicrobial resistance, training healthcare teams and coordinating responses to emergencies.
Cyprus could help bring institutions and healthcare teams together through its EU role, its relationship with the World Health Organization and its regional partnerships, he said, adding that stronger health services in neighbouring countries also helped contain risks that could reach the island.
Turning to the domestic health system, Charalambides said the General Healthcare System (GeSY) had widened access to care and strengthened financial protection, while the next priority was to improve quality, place greater emphasis on prevention and ensure better coordination between services.
‘As our population ages and more people live with long-term conditions, regular follow-up can help them remain active and independent and reduce avoidable pressure on hospitals,’ he said.
The Minister also referred to the potential of digital health records, advanced diagnostics and artificial intelligence to improve healthcare delivery and support clinical decisions. However, he stressed that such technologies required secure infrastructure, trained professionals and clear accountability, while patients needed assurances that their personal data would be protected.
He also pointed to climate change, extreme heat, drought and wildfires as growing challenges for public health, calling for closer coordination between health services, local authorities and civil protection.
Resilience, he concluded, requires sustained investment in preparedness between emergencies, so that medicines remain available, appointments can go ahead and patients can rely on healthcare services when needed.