Ukraine and Germany agree to strengthen cooperation in healthcare

Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Liashko and German Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach have signed a joint declaration of intent on cooperation between the two ministries in the field of health.

“The COVID-19 pandemic and especially the full-scale war have clearly demonstrated to us the importance of international medical partnerships. After all, no medical system can meet such challenges alone. The tool we offer is global cooperation. Last autumn, during the Third Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, 16 health ministers supported a joint statement that combines four key topics: mental health, international health partnerships, health workforce development and mental health care. I am grateful to Germany for supporting the statement. The list of signatories is constantly expanding. Today we are signing a joint declaration that will further deepen our cooperation and define its key vectors: public health, prevention of infectious and non-communicable diseases, rehabilitation, mental health, professional development, and modernisation of healthcare systems,” said Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Liashko.

German Federal Minister of Health Prof. Karl Lauterbach said: “russia’s criminal war of aggression against Ukraine is hitting the country’s healthcare provision particularly hard. More than 1,500 attacks on healthcare facilities and medical staff have been documented since the war began. Since the beginning of russia’s war of aggression, the German Federal Government has provided Ukraine with assistance amounting to EUR 28 billion, including for the healthcare system. In addition, Germany has admitted and treated more than 900 injured patients here. The Ukrainian healthcare system continues to function despite these targeted attacks, and I would like to thank my counterpart Viktor Liashko for his indefatigable dedication to the well-being of the Ukrainian population and the strong relationship with Germany. Germany will also stand closely by Ukraine during its upcoming healthcare reform. This agreement allows us to provide new impetus for working more closely together, in particular with a view to Ukraine’s efforts toward EU accession.”

The declaration aims to intensify Ukrainian-German cooperation to strengthen our health systems in a number of areas:

• public health;
• communicable and non-communicable diseases including antimicrobial resistance;
• prevention;
• rehabilitation including prosthetics and orthotics;
• mental health;
• capacity building through professional development of medical staff and transferal of knowledge;
• sustainability and modernization of health care systems including self-governance.