URC2025 in Rome: Healthcare in the focus for international cooperation

On July 10, the International Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2025) kicked off in Rome, bringing together representatives of governments, international organizations, businesses, civil society and municipalities from about 100 countries.

The annual conference aims to consolidate the efforts of international partners to rebuild Ukraine in the face of full-scale war. The event covers a wide range of topics: from energy security, modernization of critical infrastructure and support for small and medium-sized businesses to the transformation of social systems, including healthcare, education and human capital development.

The event was officially opened by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President of the Italian Council of Ministers Giorgia Meloni. The opening speeches were delivered by President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz and Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk. The event was also attended by representatives of the Ministry of Health and the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Public Health, Medical Assistance and Medical Insurance, including Deputy Minister Edem Adamanov, Committee Chairman Mykhailo Radutsky and Subcommittee Chairman Olha Stefanyshyna.

During the first day of the Conference, representatives of the Ministry of Health held a number of strategically important negotiations and signed new documents with international partners. The agreements cover grants, soft loans, investments, technical assistance and new partnerships (in accordance with the Healthcare Development Strategy until 2030)

In total, on the first day of the conference, agreements were reached and documents were signed for a total pledged amount of over EUR 75 million:

• memorandum was signed with the Belgian Agency for International Cooperation Enabel to implement long-term projects to develop a medical rehabilitation network, modernize six hospitals in Kyiv and Chernihiv regions, supply generators and boilers, launch training programs for multidisciplinary teams, support nursing reform, 3D prosthetics and telemedicine with an estimated funding need of EUR 31 million;
• memorandum signed with the French International Technical Cooperation Agency Expertise France to establish a financial mechanism to support the Ministry of Health's priority projects, develop feasibility studies, modernize war-affected communities and healthcare facilities, provide technical expertise, train management personnel and develop educational programs in accordance with European standards;
• participation in the signing of a memorandum between the Lviv City Council and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania on a new stage of cooperation on the development of the UNBROKEN rehabilitation center in Bryukhovychi for the amount of EUR 620,000;
• launch by the European Union, the Belgian International Cooperation Agency Enabel, the World Health Organization in cooperation with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine of a new project “Healthier Ukraine: Promoting Rapid Recovery and Continuous Transformation for Sustainable Healthcare in Ukraine” to the tune of EUR 11.5 million; The initiative will focus on improving healthcare governance and coordination, effective response to public health challenges, human and institutional capacity development, primary healthcare transformation, and digitalization;
• announced funding from the Government of Italy for the construction of a regional children's hospital in Odesa region in the form of a soft loan of EUR 30 million;
• Joint Statement was signed with the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) on cooperation in the healthcare sector and the determination as priority the investment into development of Ukrainian Center of Maternity and Childhood of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine;
• investment agreement was signed on the localization of pharmaceutical and biotechnology production in Ukraine;
• memorandum was signed with Ellipse Projects SAS on cooperation aimed at rebuilding, modernizing and developing the infrastructure of healthcare facilities, ensuring their compliance with modern standards of quality, safety and accessibility.

Working meetings were also held with the delegation of the Republic of Korea and representatives of the German Credit Institute for Reconstruction KfW.

Healthcare remains a priority in the process of rebuilding Ukraine, and the support of international partners is an important key to the development of a sustainable, efficient and accessible healthcare system.