Ukraine Presents Its Experience in Reforming the Healthcare System During the War

The DIA 2026 Global Annual Meeting took place in Philadelphia — an annual international event that brings together representatives of regulatory authorities, governments, academia, the pharmaceutical industry, patient organizations, and experts in healthcare and pharmaceuticals.

This year, a separate panel within the event was dedicated to Ukraine, its European integration path, and healthcare reform during the war. The discussion was initiated by Poland’s Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices and Biocidal Products.

The panel was joined by Maryna Slobodnichenko, Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine for European Integration; Marwan Fathallah, President and CEO of DIA; Grzegorz Cessak, President of the Polish regulatory agency; Magdalena Pajewska, Director of the Department of International Cooperation of the agency; Martin Harvey Allchurch, Head of International Affairs at the European Medicines Agency; and Lilia Luchianova, representative of the European Commission’s DG SANTE.

In this regard, participants emphasized the importance of further cooperation with Ukraine, which has gained significant practical experience in ensuring access to medicines during the full-scale war. Special attention was paid to practical solutions that have helped maintain the stability of the pharmaceutical sector despite the challenges of war. These include the creation of strategic reserves, the development of mobile pharmacies, and the delivery of medicines to frontline communities by post and using drones.

This experience also provides an important basis for further alignment of Ukraine’s pharmaceutical regulation with EU standards. One of the key steps on this path is the establishment of the Ukrainian Medicines Agency — a new body that will implement state policy in the areas of development, market authorization, quality control, safety and efficacy of medicines.

The creation of the agency is expected to strengthen the state’s capacity to ensure the quality, safety and efficacy of medical products, as well as support the development of innovation, biotechnology and investment in the pharmaceutical sector. This work is already underway, including through a Twinning project aimed at establishing a modern, transparent and independent regulatory authority in the pharmaceutical sector.

The session also focused on international cooperation and support for Ukraine on its path toward membership in the European Union. Participants stressed that aligning pharmaceutical regulation with EU standards requires not only legislative changes, but also continuous dialogue with European partners, exchange of experience and stronger institutional capacity. This is important for building a more resilient healthcare system, improving the quality of regulation and ensuring people’s access to necessary medical care.

In addition, on the sidelines of the event, Maryna Slobodnichenko held a series of bilateral meetings with representatives of regulatory authorities from the United States, Canada, the African Medicines Agency and Saudi Arabia. Following the meetings, the parties agreed to continue cooperation and develop further steps toward the mutual recognition of GMP certificates. Representatives of Saudi Arabia also invited a Ukrainian mission for further negotiations on cooperation.

For its part, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine will continue working to implement European standards in healthcare and strengthen cooperation with international partners. This is an important part of Ukraine’s European integration path and, at the same time, a foundation for a resilient, transparent and effective system of medical product regulation.

As a reminder, the Ukraine–EU partnership on the establishment of the Ukrainian Medicines Agency is ongoing.