Viktor Liashko at the World Health Summit 2026: Ukraine’s experience can help build more resilient health systems

Ukraine’s Minister of Health Viktor Liashko participated in the World Health Summit 2026 in Berlin. During the session “Health System Resilience: Lessons from Ukraine and Other Crisis Settings,” he presented Ukraine’s experience in maintaining its healthcare system during the full-scale war and the solutions that help ensure continued access to healthcare.

The session was opened by Germany’s Federal Minister of Health, Karsten Linnemann. The panel discussion also featured Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme; Georg Kippels, Parliamentary State Secretary at Germany’s Federal Ministry of Health; and Florika Fink-Hooijer, Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA). The discussion was moderated by Katri Bertram, Director of Doctors of the World.

In his remarks, the Minister emphasised that the war has fundamentally changed the operating environment for Ukraine’s healthcare system. Millions of people have been forced to relocate, some healthcare workers have left the country, the geographical distribution of healthcare needs has shifted, and demand for certain types of medical services has increased sharply. At the same time, russia continues to systematically attack healthcare facilities, storage facilities and logistics infrastructure.

“For Ukraine, healthcare system resilience has been a daily practice throughout more than four years of full-scale war. We continuously adapt financing, patient pathways, logistics and the operations of healthcare facilities to rapidly changing conditions. At the same time, we continue to develop the system in areas where the need for care has increased significantly. Some of the solutions we have developed in response to the war can now help other countries prepare for crises and emergencies," said Viktor Liashko.

Among the examples of this adaptation, the Minister highlighted the expansion of rehabilitation services. Ukraine’s healthcare system now provides around 17,000 rehabilitation sessions a day – six times more than in 2022. The number of professionals working in multidisciplinary rehabilitation teams has increased eightfold over the same period.

Transplantation services are also continuing to develop. In 2026, Ukrainian medical teams have already performed 473 organ transplants, bringing the total since the beginning of 2022 to more than 2,500. During the full-scale war, Ukraine performed its first heart-lung transplant, and in August this year, the country carried out its first lung transplant in a child.

Medical evacuation has become another important area of focus. In cooperation with the European Union, the World Health Organization and the governments of partner countries, Ukraine has established a system for coordinating and transporting patients abroad for treatment and rehabilitation. More than 7,000 Ukrainians have already received care in 34 countries. Germany has received the largest number of patients – more than 2,000.

Viktor Liashko also drew attention to the intensification of russian attacks on the pharmaceutical sector. Warehouses storing medicines, logistics infrastructure and manufacturing facilities have come under attack. Together with pharmaceutical businesses, the Government is working on solutions to make logistics more flexible and resilient and to maintain a stable supply of essential medicines.

The Minister also highlighted the development of care for combat-related injuries, prosthetics, reconstructive surgery and mental health services. He also pointed to the ability of Ukraine’s digital healthcare system to continue operating during attacks and prolonged power outages, as well as healthcare facilities’ preparedness to operate in emergencies.

In closing, Viktor Liashko called on international partners to continue supporting Ukraine and to ensure that russian aggression remains on the international agenda.

“This war has been going on for a long time, and new crises and challenges continue to emerge around the world. But the passage of time does not make this war any less brutal or dangerous – for Ukraine, Europe or the world. I ask our friends and partners to continue supporting Ukraine, to keep talking about this war in your countries, and to urge your governments to strengthen their support for Ukraine and increase pressure on russia. Ukraine continues to fight. Our doctors continue to save lives. Our healthcare system continues to operate and grow stronger. And we will continue to need your partnership to make this possible," the Minister of Health stressed.

On the sidelines of the World Health Summit, Minister of Health Viktor Liashko also held a series of bilateral meetings with international partners.

During a meeting with Florika Fink-Hooijer, Director-General of the European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), they discussed strengthening cooperation on emergency preparedness. Key areas included Ukraine’s practical use of the EU Joint Procurement Mechanism for medical countermeasures, the protection and diversification of strategic medical stockpiles, supply chain resilience, and the potential integration of Ukraine’s manufacturing and laboratory capacities into European supply chains.

At a meeting with WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Viktor Liashko emphasised the importance of keeping Ukraine among the WHO’s global priorities. They discussed continued support for key programmes, the resilience of healthcare infrastructure and strategic medical stockpiles, and the integration of Ukraine’s experience into international emergency preparedness and response programmes.

Discussions with Maria Neira, Director of the WHO Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, focused on maintaining support for Ukraine amid structural and financial changes within the WHO, assistance for frontline and the hardest-hit regions, rehabilitation, and treatment for combat-related injuries. They also discussed the development of international healthcare partnerships and continued cooperation with Spain under the MEDEVAC programme.

During a meeting with Germany’s Federal Minister of Health, Karsten Linnemann, and Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Health, Georg Kippels, the parties discussed further development of the Ukrainian-German partnership. Viktor Liashko thanked Germany for providing more than €200 million in support for Ukraine’s healthcare system and for its significant contribution to the medical evacuation programme. Further priorities included maintaining MEDEVAC capacity in 2027, developing Ukraine’s civilian trauma care system, and expanding partnerships between healthcare facilities and universities.

With Indonesia’s Minister of Health, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, they discussed deepening bilateral cooperation, including the use of Ukrainian medical universities as training bases for Indonesian students and support for Indonesian colleagues in developing heart and bone marrow transplantation.

At a meeting with Jennifer Shuford, Deputy Director and Chief Medical Officer of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Paige Armstrong, Director of the CDC’s Center for Global Health, discussions focused on continued cooperation in public health, including responses to infectious disease outbreaks, tackling antimicrobial resistance, and providing expert support to Ukraine during emergencies.