Antibiotics from China

More than 80 percent of antibiotics in Belgium comes from China: “If China cuts off the supply we will not even be able to perform surgery for appendicitis”.

More than 80 percent of our antibiotics come from China, and that is a risk for our access to critical care drugs. The European Commission proposed a plan of action last Tuesday, but it doesn’t go far enough. “China produces a lot of medicines that we need”, according to the Belgian Minister of Health Frank Vandenbroucke. “If they decide to cut off the supply there will be no more medicine in our country. Even the most simple operation will then no longer be possible.”

The European Commission presented a plan to address access to critical care drugs in the EU. This will include diversifying the supply chain and boosting pharmaceutical production within the EU. This should also offer a solution for the current medicine availability problem.

The proposal is a step in the right direction, but it doesn’t go far enough and lacks the urgency that is needed to guarantee our health care and security. There is insufficient funding and a joint strategy is missing for reserve stockpiling vital medicines.

Source: https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2025/03/11/europa-is-te-afhankelijk-voor-medicijnen-critical-medicine-act/