Australian PM Issues Formal Apology to Thalidomide Tragedy Survivors

Babies were born with shortened limbs, blindness, deafness, and malformed organs.

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reacts as he speaks during a media conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Oct. 14, 2023. David Gray/AFP via Getty Images

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has formally apologised to survivors of the thalidomide pharmaceutical tragedy that harmed 10,000 babies globally in the 1950s and 1960s.

Thalidomide, prescribed to pregnant women for anxiety, morning sickness, and insomnia, led to severe birth defects despite promises of safety.