Viktor Liashko: Adoption of European integration laws is a step forward on the way towards the Association Agreement with the EU

Increasing funding for the healthcare system and raising the basic salary of physicians are steps that will help Ukraine build an effective healthcare system and move closer to EU standards. This was stated by Minister of Health Viktor Liashko during a meeting of the Commission for Coordination of the Implementation of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU.

"Effective cooperation between the Ministry, the Government and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has allowed us to fulfill Ukraine's commitment to reform the healthcare financing system, being one of the key components of the Association Agreement. Combined with a record increase in healthcare funding in the State Budget of Ukraine for 2022, as well as a guaranteed increase in salaries for health workers, we have strong prerequisites for successful healthcare reform in line with the best European and world standards," said Viktor Liashko.

According to the Minister, thanks to the active cooperation of all branches of government last year a number of European integration bills in the field of healt care were adopted, in particular:

• On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine on Public Health Protection from the Harmful Effects of Tobacco.
• On Ukraine's Accession to the Partial Agreement on the Establishment of a Co-operation Group to Combat Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (the Pompidou Group).
• On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts Regulating the Issue of Human Anatomical Material Transplantation to Facilitate Organ Donation and Transplantation. Thanks to the adoption of the above-mentioned bill, 319 transplantations have already been performed in Ukraine, of which 19 are bone marrow transplants from a non-native donor. And also: for the first time a heart transplantation was performed on a child and a lung transplant was performed as well.

In 2022, the Ministry of Health expects for the adoption of the European integration bill On Medicinal Products, which should implement the important provisions of the European Directive № 2001/83 / EC.

In addition, an important step towards the Association Agreement with the EU is the adoption of a bill that will help improve the health of the population, prevent disease and increase life expectancy - №4142 On Public Health.

Among the European integration priorities of the Ministry of Health for 2022 remains the development of donor blood and its components sector, as well as participation in the implementation of the pan-European program EU4Health.