Ukraine and Sweden sign a technical agreement on healthcare as part of the security agreement between the countries
Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Liashko and Minister of Health of the Kingdom of Sweden Akko Ankarberg Johansson signed a technical agreement during her visit to Kyiv. The agreement aims to strengthen and develop bilateral cooperation in healthcare and public health. It is aimed at implementing the Agreement on Security Cooperation between Ukraine and Sweden, taking into account the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs of the Kingdom of Sweden. The cooperation also aims to facilitate Ukraine's further integration into the European Union.
“Sweden is one of the partner countries that has had a clear and unwavering position in support of Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale war. Today, we are officially signing a technical agreement on cooperation in the field of healthcare in pursuance of the security agreement concluded on May 31, 2024, in Stockholm during the visit of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Sweden. Ukraine's aspiration is to restore a just peace. Therefore, step by step, we are working to unite the international community, for which security, health, and life are the highest values. Since the first months of the war, Sweden has been actively involved in supporting our medical system: it has been accepting Ukrainians affected by the war for treatment and rehabilitation, providing numerous humanitarian aid, and supporting Ukraine in the international arena. Today, we have once again seen that Sweden is our reliable friend and its course towards Ukraine is unchanged.”
The signing of the technical agreement will facilitate the implementation of initiatives and innovative solutions to protect human life and health and improve public health and well-being. The agreement aims to overcome the negative consequences in the healthcare sector and counter the challenges caused by Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.
Under the terms of the agreement, the following key areas of cooperation are envisaged:
- Supporting Ukraine in implementing healthcare reforms necessary for European integration. Providing advice, conducting educational activities, and promoting the establishment of a single regulatory authority for medicines in Ukraine to improve the national pharmaceutical regulatory system and ensure compliance with EU regulatory quality standards.
- training and professional development of healthcare workers and specialists in the field of circulation and control of medicines and medical devices, including the organization of educational events and exchange visits;
- development of horizontal medical partnerships between healthcare institutions;
- fight against antimicrobial resistance, in particular, promotion of the development and implementation of measures to combat antimicrobial resistance, training and professional development of healthcare workers;
- implementation of treatment and rehabilitation programs for Ukrainian citizens affected by the war, etc.
The parties will encourage the establishment of direct relationships between healthcare facilities, healthcare providers, educational institutions, and other organizations as part of the agreement.
In April of this year, the first technical agreement in the healthcare sector was signed as part of the security agreement between the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Latvia.