On January 27, Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Liashko and his deputies held a strategic session with Dr. Jarno Habicht, Head of the WHO Country Office in Ukraine, and representatives of the WHO Office in Ukraine. They discussed plans for cooperation for the coming year, the main directions and projects. Ukraine continues to work on reforming its healthcare system, implementing on the ground the provisions of the legislation adopted, including during the war, that are necessary to improve the healthcare system. Efforts are also focused on the processes related to European integration, development and expert evaluation of healthcare regulations, and assessment of their compliance with the EU standards. The military aggression of the russian federation has led to significant destruction in the medical sector, so the issue of restoring medical facilities is one of the key issues in our work with partners.

"The World Health Organization is our long-term reliable partner both in strategic issues of healthcare system development in Ukraine and in overcoming new urgent challenges caused by the full-scale war. The Ministry of Health has three main priorities: accessibility of medical care, its quality and being free for patients. I am grateful for the constant expert, technical and financial assistance. Many projects have already been implemented and continue to be implemented. We are strengthening our cooperation and moving forward with confidence," said Viktor Liashko.

"The strategic session with the leadership of the Ministry of Health and the WHO Office in Ukraine allowed us to summarize the results of our cooperation in 2022 and identify areas for 2023. We have been supporting Ukraine in the face of war since the invasion of the russian federation on February 24, 2022. Our continued partnership in 2023 will include responding to emergency needs, supporting reforms and recovery efforts," said Dr. Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative and Head of the WHO Country Office in Ukraine.

Strategic cooperation between the Ministry of Health and the WHO Office in Ukraine is based on the Biennial Cooperation Agreement for 2022-2023, including responding to emergency health needs during the war, in accordance with the Inter-Agency Emergency Appeal for Ukraine 2022 and the Emergency Appeal for Ukraine 2023 (which is part of the global appeal for Ukraine), as well as responding to emergencies related to the fight against COVID-19 and polio in the country. Discussions have now begun on further cooperation between the WHO and the Ministry of Health within the framework of the Biennial Cooperation Agreement for 2024-2025.

As a reminder, the WHO Country Office in Ukraine recently handed over 26 ambulances to the Ministry of Health of Ukraine to meet the urgent healthcare needs of patients during the war.