Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Liashko and Minister of Health of the Republic of Estonia Riina Sikkut signed a memorandum of cooperation between their ministries in Kyiv during the Third Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen as part of the satellite summit of health ministers.

“International support is very important for Ukraine. Especially now, in the midst of a full-scale war. We feel that the whole civilised democratic world is with us. I am sincerely grateful to all countries and their citizens who are helping us to successfully overcome the challenges of the war and bring our country closer to victory. The medical system is working under extremely difficult conditions. Every day we solve new problems in order to save lives. But our work and cooperation with other countries, even now, is not limited to responding to the needs and challenges of a full-scale war. It is about development – about building a high-quality, modern medical system. The memorandum signed today with friendly Estonia will also contribute to this,” Viktor Liashko stressed.

The purpose of the signed memorandum is to continue and develop the partnership between the Ministries of Health of Ukraine and Estonia, to create a framework for cooperation in the field of healthcare, protection of human life and health.

The main areas of cooperation include the provision of humanitarian aid, improving access to emergency and primary healthcare and mental health services for Ukrainian refugees, assistance in the provision of medical services to wounded Ukrainian citizens, especially in the field of rehabilitation and the manufacture of individual prostheses, organising training, education and exchange of experience of medical professionals in cooperation with universities and medical institutions, the restoration of damaged medical facilities, cooperation between Estonian and Ukrainian healthcare institutions and the provision of medical services to Ukrainian refugees.

In the future, these areas of medical cooperation may be expanded. In addition, the involvement of other partners, including international organisations, is being considered for the successful implementation of projects.

An important component of the cooperation is also the establishment of direct interaction between medical institutions, educational institutions and other organisations, such as the Estonian Centre for International Development.