Ukraine and Latvia Work to Expand Cancer Treatment Options for Ukrainian Patients
Ukraine's Minister of Health, Viktor Liashko, met with representatives of the Republic of Latvia to discuss strengthening cooperation in cancer care and expanding access to advanced treatment options for Ukrainian patients.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine Hennadii Nersesian, Ambassador of Latvia to Ukraine Andrejs Pildegovičs, Ambassador-at-Large for Support to Ukraine Maija Manika, representatives of the Latvian Stereotactic Radiosurgery Center “Sigulda” (CyberKnife Sigulda), and relevant specialists from the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.
The discussions focused on expanding treatment opportunities for Ukrainian patients in Latvia, arranging training programmes for Ukrainian doctors and medical physicists, holding joint consultations on complex clinical cases, and sharing expertise in advanced medical technologies.
To support these efforts, the parties plan to involve Stereotactic Radiosurgery Center “Sigulda” (CyberKnife Sigulda), a Latvian medical centre specialising in high-precision radiotherapy and stereotactic radiosurgery. They also discussed the possibility of establishing a partnership between the Latvian centre and specialised Ukrainian hospitals, with a formal cooperation agreement to follow.
As part of the proposed partnership, the parties also plan to secure international support to cover the costs of treatment for Ukrainian patients who require highly specialised cancer care.
Latvia has consistently supported Ukraine's healthcare system throughout Russia's full-scale invasion. Its assistance includes providing medical equipment, medicines and ambulances, supporting the reconstruction of healthcare facilities, and receiving Ukrainian patients for treatment and rehabilitation. In particular, 1,146 Ukrainians affected by the war have already been evacuated to Latvia through the international medical evacuation programme (MEDEVAC).
Improving cancer care remains a key priority for Ukraine. As part of the National Cancer Control Strategy through 2030, the government is increasing funding for cancer treatment and equipping hospitals with modern medical technology.
In 2026, Ukraine's Medical Guarantees Programme has allocated more than UAH 7.5 billion for cancer care. In addition, between 2020 and 2026, 21 linear accelerators have been delivered to Ukrainian cancer centres to improve access to modern radiotherapy.
Background: According to the National Cancer Registry of Ukraine, more than 100,000 new cases of cancer are diagnosed in Ukraine each year. The most common cancers among women are breast cancer (22.2%) and cancer of the uterine corpus (10.1%). Among men, the most common are prostate cancer (14.9%) and cancers of the trachea, bronchi, and lungs (13.3%).
More information about cancer treatment in Ukraine is available here.