Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2025) in Rome: healthcare as a cornerstone of global partnership

The International Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2025) opened on July 10 in Rome, bringing together representatives from over 100 countries, including governments, international organizations, businesses, civil society, and municipalities. 

The annual conference aims to consolidate the efforts of international partners toward the reconstruction of Ukraine amid the ongoing full-scale war. The event covers a wide range of topics, ranging from energy security, modernization of critical infrastructure, support for small and medium-sized enterprises to the transformation of social systems such as healthcare, education, and human capital development.

The conference was solemnly opened by Volodymyr Zelenskyi, the President of Ukraine, and Giorgia Meloni, the President of the Council of Ministers of Italy. Opening remarks were also delivered by Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission; Friedrich Merz, the Chancellor of Germany; and Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister of Poland. 

Among the Ukrainian delegation were key healthcare sector leaders: representatives of Ukraine’s Ministry of Health and the Parliamentary Committee on National Health, Medical Care and Health Insurance, including Edem Adamanov, Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine; Mykhailo Radutskyi, the Chairman of the Committee; and Olha Stefanyshyna, Head of the Subcommittee.

On the first day of the event, representatives of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine participated in a series of strategically important meetings and signed new agreements with international partners. These arrangements encompass grants, concessional loans, investments, technical assistance, and new partnerships in line with the Healthcare System Development Strategy until 2030.

On day one of the conference, commitments, and agreements totaling over EUR 75 million were finalized; these include the following:

• A memorandum has been concluded with “Enabel,” the Belgian Development Agency, regarding the implementation of long-term projects for the development of a medical rehabilitation network. This includes the modernization of six hospitals in the Kyiv and Chernihiv oblasts (regions), the supply of generators and heating plants, launching training programs for multidisciplinary teams, support for nursing reform, advancements in 3D prosthetics, and telemedicine, with an estimated funding requirement of EUR 31 million;
• A memorandum has been signed with “Expertise France,” the French agency for international technical cooperation, aimed at creating a financial mechanism supporting the Ministry of Health’s priority projects, development of feasibility studies, recovery of war-affected communities and healthcare facilities, provision of technical expertise, training executive-level personnel, and developing educational programs in line with European standards;
• The Lviv City Council and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania have signed a memorandum to initiate a new phase of cooperation aimed at supporting the development of the UNBROKEN rehabilitation center in the village of Briukhovychi, Lviv oblast. The agreement allocates EUR 620,000 in funding;
• A new project, “A Healthier Ukraine: Supporting Rapid Recovery and Continuous Transformation for a Sustainable Health System in Ukraine,” has been launched by the European Union, Enabel, and the World Health Organization, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. This initiative, with a total funding of EUR 11.5 million, will focus on strengthening health governance and coordination, enhancing public health emergency response, developing human resources, building institutional capacity, transforming primary healthcare, and advancing digitalization;
• The Government of Italy has announced the financing of a regional children’s hospital in the Odesa oblast through a EUR 30 million concessional loan;
• A Joint Statement has been signed with the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) on cooperation in the healthcare sector and prioritization of investment in the development of the National Center for Maternity and Childhood of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine;
• An investment agreement has been signed regarding the localization of pharmaceutical and biotechnology production in Ukraine;
• A memorandum has been signed with Ellipse Projects SAS on cooperation aimed at the reconstruction, modernization, and development of healthcare infrastructure, ensuring compliance with contemporary standards of quality, safety, and accessibility.

Also, a series of working meetings took place with representatives from the Republic of Korea and “KfW0”, the German development bank, both active in supporting reconstruction efforts. 

Healthcare remains a priority in Ukraine’s recovery process, and the support of international partners is a vital foundation for the development of a sustainable, efficient, and accessible healthcare system.