URC 2025: Ukraine has attracted about EUR 200 million to restore its healthcare system — results of the conference in Rome

The second and final day of the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 has come to an end in Rome. The event has become an important platform for mobilising international support for Ukraine's healthcare system, which is working daily in the face of war.

The conference featured a panel discussion on ‘Health as a prerequisite for the development of Ukraine's human capital: reform, resilience and recovery’.

The discussion was attended by Orazio Scillaci, Minister of Health of Italy, and Edem Adamanov, Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine. The discussion was also joined by Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Edmondo Cirielli, World Bank Regional Director for Eastern Europe Bob Som, President of the Council of Europe Development Bank Carlo Monticelli, and Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergency Response Programme Chihwe Ihekwizu.

Representatives of the medical community and NGOs also took part in the discussion. The panel discussion was moderated by Dr. Jarno Habicht, Head of the WHO Country Office in Ukraine.

The panel focused on the healthcare system in Ukraine, which continues to respond to the challenges of a full-scale war while implementing key reforms to ensure access to free and quality healthcare. During the discussion, the partners were presented with the key priorities for the transformation of the sector in accordance with the Healthcare System Development Strategy until 2030.

Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine Edem Adamanov also presented updated data on the impact of the war on the Ukrainian healthcare system. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the aggressor has damaged or destroyed 2,384 medical facilities, 308 of which were destroyed. According to the Rapid Damage and Recovery Needs Assessment (RDNA4), the full recovery of the sector from the war's consequences over the next decade will require at least USD 19.4 billion.

Particular attention was paid to international coordination in the areas of financing, human capital development, rehabilitation and mental health, digitalisation, and building a sustainable healthcare system focused on the needs of patients.

On the second day of the conference, five more international agreements, memoranda, and understandings were signed. The total amount of aid pledged on the final day of URC 2025 is around €120 million:

• A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the Swedish Development Finance Institution Swedfund. The document opens up opportunities to attract funding under the project accelerator for an estimated amount of EUR 120 million. It provides funding for the development of feasibility studies and project documentation, the development of medical infrastructure, the restoration, and modernisation of medical facilities in communities affected by the war or hosting internally displaced persons. It also supports the implementation of digital solutions and analytical support.
• A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the Ministry of Health of the Italian Republic on cooperation in healthcare. The document was signed pursuant to the Agreement on Security Cooperation between the Republic of Italy and Ukraine, concluded in Kyiv on 24 February 2024. It is aimed at deepening bilateral cooperation in the healthcare sector, in particular in the areas of public health, emergency response and modernisation of Ukraine's healthcare system. The main priorities of the partnership are the development and rehabilitation of medical infrastructure, the provision of humanitarian assistance, support for the reform of the Ukrainian healthcare system, and the expansion of international medical partnership.
• A Memorandum of International Medical Partnership was signed between Superhumans and Officina Ortopedica Maria Adelaide, a clinic in Turin, Italy, which specialises in the manufacture of prostheses for patients with partial hand amputations. The document is aimed at sharing experience, implementing modern practices, professional exchange and developing rehabilitation care in Ukraine. In particular, it is planned to involve Ukrainian and Italian specialists in training programmes in the field of prosthetics, including the use of silicone components to create high-quality cosmetic prostheses. This is the 65th memorandum signed as part of the international medical partnership initiative, which was launched during the Third First Ladies and Gentlemen Summit in Kyiv in 2023 and provides for horizontal cooperation at the level of medical institutions.
• A Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and business associations. The document confirms strategic cooperation in the production and supply of critical medicines, support for investment and certification following EU GMP standards, and the formation of strategic alliances in procurement.

A separate political dialogue was held between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the Republic of Korea on cooperation under the Economic Development and Cooperation Fund (EDCF). As a result, the parties agreed to implement joint projects, including the construction of the National Cancer Institute building, the development of the Heart Institute of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. They also agreed to purchase laboratory equipment for the public health system.

Also during the event, the launch of the second phase of the joint project ‘Support to Health Care Reforms in Ukraine’ for 2025-2029, implemented by WHO and the World Bank with financial support from Switzerland, was announced. The new phase will build on the results of the first phase (2021-2025) and will aim to strengthen the resilience, support reforms and restore the healthcare system during and after the war, taking into account Ukraine's European integration course. The project focuses on three key areas. The first is healthcare governance, which involves strengthening transparency and accountability of institutions and engaging key partners and civil society in the process. The second area is healthcare financing: it is about improving the efficiency of the use of funds, strengthening procurement mechanisms and enhancing financial protection for patients. And the third is the provision of healthcare services, with a focus on improving their quality, efficiency and accessibility, particularly at the primary care level and for vulnerable groups.

In total, 12 international agreements, memoranda, and other arrangements in the healthcare sector worth about EUR 200 million were signed over the two days of the conference. This is a significant result that allows us to continue rebuilding the healthcare system, strengthening its capacity and improving access to healthcare services for citizens.

As a reminder, on the first day of the URC 2025 conference, seven international agreements worth more than EUR 75 million were signed. The agreements cover grants, investments, soft loans, technical assistance and strategic partnerships.