By donating a bus fleet, WHO and the EU are helping to strengthen vaccination in Ukraine to protect the most vulnerable segments of the population

The WHO office in Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, has handed over 59 buses to the Ministry of Health of Ukraine to help strengthen large-scale vaccination throughout the country during the war.

Buses will be equipped with mobile field teams and will travel to all regions controlled by the government of Ukraine to carry out vaccination against infectious diseases, in particular COVID-19, measles and diphtheria, with a special focus on internally displaced persons, vulnerable groups of the population, including the elderly and people with chronic diseases, as well as anyone living in remote and hard-to-reach areas.

“The last year of the war has significantly affected vaccination coverage, and these buses will help ensure that Ukraine continues its journey towards providing IDPs and the most vulnerable populations with easier access to vaccines against diseases that may prove deadly,” said Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, director of the WHO Regional Office for Europe.

He also added: “Of the 35 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines delivered to the country since the beginning of the pandemic, only 4 million (11%) doses were administered after 24 February 2022. We also see that routine immunization efforts are facing challenges as a result, and we are preparing to address the risks of measles and diphtheria outbreaks.”

With the support of WHO, in partnership with the EU and USAID, from April to December 2022, field immunization services, which included vaccination and information on how to make up for the necessary vaccination to prevent outbreaks of infectious diseases, reached up to 400,000 people in 1,500 locations in eight regions.

COVID-19 vaccines and routine vaccines are provided by public health institutions throughout Ukraine and are administered in accordance with global guidelines and the national vaccination calendar. Vaccines are available and administered free of charge in the country.

The Ministry of Health will distribute the donated buses among all regional centers for disease control and prevention. 

WHO in Ukraine supports the national immunization program in partnership with the European Union. This includes strengthening program capacity at the national and regional levels and providing technical and operational support to address inequalities in vaccination coverage and increase public access to services, as well as information support for vaccination campaigns to prevent further large-scale outbreaks of infectious diseases. WHO shares recommendations, technical guidelines, conducts trainings for specialists of immunization programs and medical professionals, provides supplies, and helps with the delivery of vaccines to Ukraine within the framework of the international COVAX initiative.

Dr Jarno Habicht, WHO representative in Ukraine, said: “WHO in Ukraine will continue to work tirelessly to support immunization efforts and help the country increase vaccination coverage this year. Today's important transfer of buses together with the EU marks a significant step in this direction, and we thank our partners and the Ministry of Health for continuing to provide the population with effective protection against infectious diseases.”

He said the donation will also help address the pressing challenges facing the health system due to ongoing rocket attacks on energy infrastructure, significantly affecting the cold chain and the distribution of vaccines to places where there is no stable electricity supply. Strengthening the services of mobile and field teams will help better serve the population living in these territories and improve their protection against infectious diseases.

Ihor Kuzin, Deputy Minister of Health, Chief State Sanitary doctor, said: “During the full-scale russian invasion of Ukraine, the vaccination campaign did not stop for a single day. Thanks to our partners, the transferred buses will powerfully help regional centers for disease control and prevention strengthen routine immunization and reach as many people as possible with COVID vaccinations. Special attention will be paid to IDPs, people with limited mobility and people living in hard-to-reach regions.”

Martin Schroeder, head of human and local development department at the EU Delegation to Ukraine, said: “Strengthening public health systems is one of the top priorities in the EU - Ukraine health dialogue. Today's transfer of these buses marks an important step to strengthen vaccination in Ukraine and ensure the protection of the most vulnerable segments of the population from infectious diseases. We plan to continue our partnership with WHO in Ukraine and the Ministry of Health to provide support to the Ukrainian health system during this difficult period of a full-fledged russian war and beyond.”