Ministry of Health and international partners discuss Ukraine's preparedness for public health emergencies

Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Liashko held a meeting with the Health Services Advisory Group (HSAG). Participants discussed further joint steps to strengthen Ukraine's preparedness for public health emergencies.

The meeting was also attended by Deputy Minister of Health – Chief State Sanitary Doctor of Ukraine Ihor Kuzin, as well as other representatives of the Ministry of Health, WHO and other organizations. In total, 19 representatives of international partners and organizations took part in the discussion.

One of the key topics was continued work on the National Health Emergency Preparedness Plan, which sets out the main priorities and measures in health security, as well as approach to emergency preparedness and response.

Importantly, international partners will continue to provide Ukraine with expert and technical support as the plan is developed and finalized, including in setting priorities, planning measures and putting in place the relevant preparedness and response mechanisms.

The sides also discussed how to align these documents with existing national strategies and EU requirements, as well as the next steps for finalizing, approving and implementing them. This work is part of the European integration process and aims to bring Ukraine's public health system closer to European approaches and standards in emergency preparedness and response.

Particular attention was paid to coordination mechanisms between the government bodies involved and international partners, as well as to identifying priority measures and the resources needed to carry them out.

Overall, the Health Services Advisory Group brings together international partners to coordinate technical assistance, align priorities and support Ukraine in preparing and implementing strategic decisions in health security. Its members include the European Union, WHO, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the European Investment Bank, NATO, the World Bank, the United Kingdom and the United States.

It should be noted that strengthening the public health system is a systemic part of the Ministry of Health's work. Recently, the Ministry held a working meeting with representatives of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where the sides took stock of their many years of cooperation and identified priority areas for further partnership.