Australia to issue long-awaited apology for the ‘Thalidomide tragedy’ after 50 years

Australia’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, announced that the country will issue a national apology to all individuals impacted by the “Thalidomide tragedy.” This apology comes more than fifty years after babies were born with birth defects as a result of their mothers taking the morning sickness pill.

During the early 1960s, Thalidomide, the active ingredient in a sedative, was widely distributed to expectant mothers in Australia and across the globe. However, it was later discovered that the drug caused severe malformations in the limbs, facial features, and internal organs of unborn children.

Albanese acknowledged the significance of the Thalidomide tragedy, stating, “The survivors, their families, friends, and caregivers have advocated for this apology with courage and conviction for many years. This moment is a long overdue national acknowledgement of all they have endured and all they have fought for.”

The worldwide scandal surrounding Thalidomide prompted a revamp of drug-testing protocols and enhanced the reputation of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Despite being distributed for testing purposes in the United States, the FDA refused to approve the drug, distinguishing itself as the lone dissenting voice. In 2010, the British government also issued an apology to the victims.

Developed by the German company Gruenenthal, Thalidomide caused an estimated 80,000 deaths of unborn children globally, with an additional 20,000 born with deformities.

In 2012, an Australian woman, who was born without arms and legs due to her mother’s use of Thalidomide, won a substantial settlement from Diageo Plc, the local distributor. Diageo agreed to a payment of A$50 million ($32 million) to 45 victims in Australia and New Zealand in 2010.

Albanese will deliver the official apology in Parliament on November 29th. Currently, 146 Thalidomide survivors are registered with the government, although the exact number of affected individuals remains unknown.

“In giving this apology, we will acknowledge all those babies who died and the families who mourn them, as well as those who survived but whose lives were made so much harder by the effects of this terrible drug,” expressed Albanese.

(Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Tom Hogue and Gerry Doyle)