Ukraine’s healthcare sector faces US$19.4 billion recovery cost—updated Damage and Needs Assessment
Over three years of full-scale war, amid systematic and targeted russian attacks on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure, the healthcare sector has suffered extensive losses and damage. Current estimates place the total recovery and reconstruction needs of the healthcare sector over the next ten years at US$19.4 billion. These figures are presented in the Fourth Ukraine Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA4).
“Three years of full-scale war launched by russia have caused significant damage to Ukraine’s healthcare system. According to estimates by the World Bank and the EU, the sector’s current needs already exceed US$19 billion. This figure is provisional. However, it is clear that the healthcare system requires substantial investment and a rational approach to its allocation. To ensure maximum efficiency, strategic priorities have been identified. This year, the Healthcare System Development Strategy until 2030 was approved. We are guided by two key directions: ensuring the system’s resilience under wartime conditions and, at the same time, focusing on recovery—integrating it with ongoing reforms and improving overall efficiency in line with the principle of ‘building back better.’”
The RDNA4 also emphasizes that prioritizing investment in recovery and reconstruction will be crucial for Ukraine’s accession to the EU and its long-term resilience. These efforts are focused on restoring the country’s infrastructure, revitalizing its economy, and strengthening its institutional framework in line with EU standards.
Compared to the previous RDNA3 assessment, which was published in February of last year, the total losses in the healthcare sector have increased by 8.9%. The needs for recovery and reconstruction over the next decade have risen by 14%. Specifically, the number of damaged healthcare facilities has increased by 36.7%, and pharmacies by 2.2%, among other indicators.
The greatest losses were recorded in Donetsk (37.8% of the total damage value), Kharkiv (12.6%), Luhansk (12.5%), and Kherson (7.3%) oblasts, where the hostilities were most intense.
It should be noted that the updated Rapid Damage and Recovery Needs Assessment (RDNA4) was presented on February 25, 2025, by the Government of Ukraine, the World Bank Group, the European Commission, and the United Nations. According to the document, the total cost of recovery and reconstruction in Ukraine is estimated at US$524 billion (EUR 506 billion) over the next decade.
The report presents findings on Ukraine’s losses resulting from russia’s invasion during the period from February 24, 2022, to December 31, 2024. It also provides an assessment of the country’s short-, medium-, and long-term reconstruction and recovery needs.
During the RDNA4 presentation, Denys Shmyhal, Ukraine’s Prime Minister, expressed his gratitude to all partners already supporting Ukraine’s recovery efforts and called on both countries and private sector actors to play a more active role in the nation’s reconstruction.
Also addressing the presentation, Antonella Bassani, Vice President of the World Bank for the Europe and Central Asia region, drew attention to the remarkable resilience of the Ukrainian people in the face of widespread destruction. According to her, the updated assessment reflects the progress Ukraine has made in both physical and economic recovery, the implementation of an ambitious reform agenda, as well as the substantial remaining recovery needs.
Notably, the World Bank is a trusted partner of Ukraine. Currently, three joint projects between the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the World Bank are being implemented: Ukraine Emergency COVID-19 Response and Vaccination, Health Enhancement and Lifesaving (HEAL Ukraine), and Transforming Healthcare Through Reform and Investment in Efficiency (THRIVE).
The RDNA4 also underscores that recovery presents an opportunity not only to rebuild what has been destroyed by the ongoing invasion but to do so in line with the “build back better” principle—implementing innovative solutions and reforms aligned with Ukraine’s aspirations for EU membership. The RDNA4 findings complement Ukraine’s three-year Reform and Investment Plan.