Ukraine and Sweden sign technical agreement in the field of healthcare as part of the security agreement between the countries

During their working visit to Kyiv, Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Liashko and Minister of Health of the Kingdom of Sweden Akko Ankarberg Johansson signed a technical agreement on strengthening and developing bilateral cooperation in the field of healthcare and public health. The technical agreement is aimed at implementing the Agreement on Security Cooperation between Ukraine and Sweden, taking into account the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs of the Kingdom of Sweden. The cooperation also aims to facilitate Ukraine's further integration into the European Union.

“Sweden is one of the partner countries that has had a clear and unwavering position on supporting Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale war. Today, we are officially signing a technical agreement on cooperation in the field of healthcare to implement the security agreement concluded on May 31, 2024 in Stockholm during the visit of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Sweden. Ukraine's aspiration is to restore a just peace. Therefore, step by step, we are working to unite the international community, for which security, health and life are the ultimate values. Since the first months of the war, Sweden has been actively involved in supporting our medical system: it has been accepting Ukrainians affected by the war for treatment and rehabilitation, providing numerous humanitarian aid, supporting Ukraine in the international arena, we are extremely grateful for all this. Today we have once again seen that Sweden is our reliable friend and its course towards Ukraine is unchanged,” said Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Liashko.

The signing of the technical agreement will facilitate the implementation of initiatives and innovative solutions in the field of protecting human life and health, as well as improving public health and well-being. The agreement is aimed at overcoming the negative consequences in the healthcare sector and countering the challenges caused by russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.

According to the terms of the agreement, the following main areas of cooperation are envisaged:

• supporting Ukraine in implementing healthcare reforms necessary for European integration, including providing advice, conducting educational activities, and promoting the establishment of a single regulatory authority for medicines in Ukraine to improve the national pharmaceutical regulatory system and ensure compliance with the quality standards of EU regulatory systems;
• training and professional development of healthcare workers and specialists in the field of circulation and control of medicines and medical devices, including the organization of educational events and exchange visits;
• development of horizontal medical partnerships between healthcare institutions;
• fighting antimicrobial resistance, in particular, promoting the development and implementation of measures to combat antimicrobial resistance, training and professional development of healthcare professionals;
• implementing treatment and rehabilitation programs for Ukrainian citizens affected by the war, continuing cooperation under the MEDEVAC program;
• supporting Ukraine on its path to harmonization with the EU single market, in particular in the field of medical services, pharmaceuticals and medical products;
• deepening cooperation in the field of knowledge and technology transfer for medical personnel in areas of mutual interest, such as cancer treatment, mental health, trauma and rehabilitation, including prosthetics, etc.
• deepening cooperation in the field of healthcare system technology and digitalization, telemedicine, etc.

As part of the agreement, the parties will encourage the establishment of direct relations between healthcare institutions, medical service providers, educational institutions and other organizations.

In April of this year, the first technical agreement in the healthcare sector was signed as part of the security agreement between the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Latvia.