Latvia

Health systems in transition
Latvia
•
•
•
•
•
•
Latvian Cooperation Organization for People with Special Needs – SUSTENTO
(Latvian umbrella group for disability-related organizations);
Latvian Diabetes Association;
Latvia’s Association for Family Planning and Sexual Health (“Papardes
zieds”);
Latvian Association of the Deaf;
Latvia Pensioners Federation;
Latvian Red Cross.
Professional organizations
The largest medical professional organization is the Physicians Association
of Latvia. This is an umbrella organization for 110 associations organized
according to medical specialties. The Latvian Government has delegated the
function of professional certification to this organization. In addition, the
Association has a Committee of Ethics, a trade court that deals with objections
of legal and government organizations, a complaints commission that decides on
penalties, and a commission for rights to teach that decides on the capabilities
and appropriateness of institutions and individual physicians for postgraduate
teaching and supervising residents. Moreover, it is the only institution that
can withdraw a doctor’s certificate, abolishing her/his right to practise. It also
keeps a registry of medical practices, and issues a medical journal, Latvijas
arsts (Physician of Latvia).
Dentists are considered to be physicians (stomatologists) in Latvia and are
members of the Physicians Association of Latvia. The nursing profession has
a similar organization, the Latvian Association of Nurses.
International organizations
A number of international organizations have a presence in Latvia.
The EU has had a presence in the Latvian health sector since 1991. In the
period of time prior to Latvian accession to the EU (1991–2004) Latvia was
a recipient of EU funds through “Poland and Hungary: Aid for Restructuring
of the Economies” (PHARE). Some PHARE programmes are ongoing and
include support for strengthening institutional capacity in diverse areas such as
infectious disease surveillance, the market for medical devices, pharmaceuticals
control and others, in order to assist Latvia in bringing these activities in line
with EU standards. Since 2004, when Latvia became a member of the EU,
it began receiving funds in support of key health sector activities including
47