Australian Government Apologizes to Thalidomide Survivors

The apology, delivered by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, marks the 62nd anniversary of the drug's withdrawal and acknowledges one of the darkest chapters in Australia's medical history.

Australia's Parliament has issued a national apology to survivors of the harmful morning sickness drug thalidomide on the 62nd anniversary of the drug being withdrawn from sale in the country.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese offered a 'full unreserved and overdue apology' to all thalidomide survivors, their families, loved ones, and carers, acknowledging one of the darkest chapters in Australia's medical history.
A Senate inquiry in 2019 recommended the apology, and the government will fulfill another recommendation by opening a memorial in Canberra in recognition of thalidomide survivors and their families.
Australia established a support program in 2020 providing lifelong assistance to 148 survivors, and the government is reopening the program to survivors who have yet to register.
A class-action lawsuit by Australian and New Zealand thalidomide survivors against the drug’s British distributor Diageo Scotland Ltd. was settled a decade ago for 89 million Australian dollars ($81 million).