In Latvia, the problem of financing the treatment of rare diseases persists. Although government spending in this area has significantly increased in recent years, there are still not enough funds to cover all patient needs, writes Diena. According to the Ministry of Health, from 2019 to 2025, a total of 92.2 million euros has been allocated for the treatment of rare diseases. However, this year funding has decreased — from 22.7 million euros last year to 20.7 million euros this year. At the same time, the ministry has requested nearly 13 million euros to expand access to new medications and improve the diagnosis of rare diseases. It is still unknown whether these funds will be included in the state budget. The most pressing issue is related to the availability of medications. According to the National Health Service, there are currently 130 patients with various diagnoses waiting for new reimbursable medications. An additional 12.98 million euros is required to ensure their treatment. For the patients themselves, this means that even with effective medications, access to them may depend not on medical indications but on the availability of funding. At the same time, representatives of the healthcare system emphasize that the situation has improved in recent years. If in 2019, 31 patients received treatment at the state's expense, costing about 4 million euros, by 2025, funding for treatment has reached 17.7 million euros, and 149 people are now receiving assistance. In addition to rare diseases, budget constraints also affect other areas. Funding for reimbursable medications and medical materials, as well as certain laboratory tests, has been reduced. However, this year additional funds have been allocated for a number of specialized medical services. In particular, funding has been provided for genetic testing for families undergoing medical fertilization, treatment of rare diseases of hard dental tissues, and non-invasive prenatal testing for pregnant women from high-risk groups. The question of allocating additional millions of euros for new medications remains open. The government's decision will determine whether patients already waiting for their turn will be able to access modern treatment methods in the coming years.