France to allocate additional EUR 12 million for urgent healthcare needs of Ukraine

Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Liashko discussed the key areas of allocation of the allocated funds during a meeting with Pierre Heilbronn, Special Envoy of the President of France for Ukraine’s Relief and Reconstruction, and his team.

“I am grateful to the government and people of France for their continued comprehensive support of Ukraine. Together we are working to ensure that the Ukrainian healthcare system continues to demonstrate resilience and has the potential for development despite all the challenges of a full-scale war,” said Minister Viktor Liashko. “We have many long-term projects, as well as those that allow us to respond quickly to emergency calls so that Ukrainians have access to the necessary medical care.”

The EUR 12 million allocated for next year’s emergency healthcare support in Ukraine will be used to implement mental health projects, improve cancer diagnostics, and restore medical facilities in Chernihiv oblast. It will also create a separate fund to purchase medical equipment in response to urgent needs.

In addition, the parties discussed plans to expand the international medical partnership program, which was launched in September this year in Kyiv as part of the Third First Ladies and Gentlemen Summit. 10 medical institutions from different parts of France have already become “twinned” with Ukrainian hospitals from Kyiv, Lviv, Ternopil, and Uzhhorod. We expect a new wave of partnerships soon. The practice of direct in-depth cooperation between twin hospitals is proving to be effective. It allows medical professionals to regularly exchange experience and adopt best practices to develop the medical systems of both countries. 

A separate issue of cooperation is the involvement of specialists from French agencies to provide expert support in the creation of a new independent state body in Ukraine. The new body will be responsible for the registration and control of the market of medicines, medical devices, cosmetics, and dietary supplements. The Ministry is currently working on the formation of an Advisory Board. Highly qualified specialists from Ukraine, other countries, and international organizations will be invited to join the Council to ensure absolute transparency of the process.

They also paid attention to the status of intergovernmental agreements on the purchase of 30 modern innovative mammography machines and the construction of modular departments in existing hospitals where patients will be provided with emergency care, in particular at the Borodianka Central District Hospital. Both agreements are currently at the final stage of approval by all involved executive authorities.