Ukraine received 70 vehicles for patronage nurses from UNICEF

Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Liashko, head of the UNICEF representative office in Ukraine Murat Sahin, charge d'affaires of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine Esselien Van Eerten took part in the solemn event on the transfer of cars. 

“Today we are strengthening our doctors. Doctors have a special responsibility — to protect the youngest patients: infants and children under 3 years of age. After all, our children are our future. Even today, these words have a special weight and meaning. With these words, under rocket attacks, women gave birth, and doctors delivered the babies. With these words, our military repels enemy attacks on a daily basis. I express my deep respect and gratitude to our doctors, who, despite the shelling, rocket, and air strikes, save the lives and health of our people. Let these cars serve for the benefit of our country and bring health to children and families,” said Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal.

The Ministry of Health, together with UNICEF, is implementing a joint program "Care from Birth at home", which provides for the introduction of a universal progressive model of home visits to improve the provision of medical and social assistance to families with children from 0 to 3 years old in primary care. Families receive help from health professionals not only on routine issues such as measuring a child's height or weight, but also on immunization, breastfeeding, nutrition, sanitation, hygiene, positive parenting, and identifying malformations.

“I thank UNICEF and the people of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for their donations. All our initiatives are aimed at ensuring high-quality, affordable and free medical care. Of course, a full-scale war has set us difficult challenges, but together we manage to maintain a medical front. Families with children living in remote localities require special attention. Now the need for visits from patronage nurses is very high. The transferred vehicles will allow them to reach even more remote communities, which means that more pregnant women and families with children will receive the necessary assistance,” said Viktor Liashko, Minister of Health of Ukraine.

“The last trimester of pregnancy and the first 1,000 days after birth are the most important for the formation of the baby's nervous system. Therefore, the first three years are the key to harmonious growth and development of the child,” said Murat Sahin, head of the UNICEF representative office in Ukraine. “It is symbolic that we can transfer these cars today, on the eve of World Health Day. They will help nurses provide comprehensive support to thousands of families with children from birth to three years old at home, and therefore take care of their health.”

The program of home visits “Care from birth at home” is already being implemented in a pilot mode in Donetsk, Zhytomyr, and Kirovohrad oblasts. In 2023, it will be expanded to 8 more regions of Ukraine: Odesa, Lviv, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Vinnytsia, Rivne, Kyiv oblasts, and the city of Kyiv.