The war has had a devastating impact on Ukraine’s health system infrastructure and workforce, including a decrease in the availability of services and medicines. With support from USAID, the health system is showing resilience and the GoU is addressing gaps in essential health services to be able to provide essential life-saving health services to the Ukrainian people while helping to pave the way for Ukraine’s integration into the European Union.
USAID is helping advance anti-corruption through health reforms that are reducing out-of-pocket expenditures for high-quality health care. The Mission’s activities help save the Government of Ukraine money through digital procurement methods that are open and easier to understand so that health facilities can redirect resources more efficiently for the needs of their patients.
The guiding principle of USAID’s Health Portfolio is to win the future by supporting Ukrainians’ recovery from the war with these objectives:
- Reconnect people to restored health services;
- Strengthen the country’s capacity to deal with public health threats and improve vaccination rates;
- Prevent and treat HIV/AIDS and multi-drug resistant tuberculosis;
- Advance reforms to improve efficiency and increase access to high-quality affordable health care;
- Expand access to mental health and physical rehabilitation services.
USAID’s health work is motivated by the idea that a healthy population leads to a strong workforce, which in turn spurs the economic recovery of a country.
CURRENT PROGRAMS
ACCELERATING HEALTH REFORM:
USAID Health Reform Support (HRS)
Implementer: Deloitte
Project Period: April 27, 2018 – April 25, 2025
The Health Reform Support (HRS) Activity supports the development of a transparent, accountable, and effective health care system capable of meeting the health needs of the Ukrainian people. It partners with the Ministry of Health, the National Health Service of Ukraine, and civil society to advance health sector reforms, tackle widespread corruption, and enhance transparency to improve access to and availability of high quality health care services. HRS focuses on making healthcare management better, changing how healthcare is paid for, training healthcare workers, and improving healthcare services overall.
Safe, Affordable, Effective Medicines for Ukrainians (SAFEMed)
Implementer: Management Sciences for Health
Project Period: August 31, 2017 – September 1, 2025
The purpose of SAFEMed is to secure the availability of quality-assured medicines and medical devices for Ukrainian patients. Its work includes strengthening health supply chains by supporting strong and transparent governance, promoting corruption-free procurement processes, enhancing the visibility and use of data for decision-making, and supporting sustainable public health financing. In response to the war, SAFEMed also provides technical assistance for the storage and distribution of humanitarian commodities managed by the Government of Ukraine.
USAID-Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) Ukraine
Implementer: RMHC Global
Project Period: August 24, 2020 - August 24, 2024
The Ronald McDonald House Charities Ukraine Activity expands the importance and availability of family-centered care across Ukraine’s health system, increases the capacity of the RMHC Chapter Ukraine to support families during the hospitalization of their children, and increases community engagement in Ukraine.
Public Health System Recovery and Resilience Activity
Implementer: Pact, Inc.
Project Period: May 10, 2022 - May 9, 2027
The purpose of the Public Health System Recovery and Resilience Activity is to strengthen the Government of Ukraine’s capacity to prevent, detect and respond to public health threats, sustain critical public health services during the war, and protect the health of all Ukrainians including vulnerable and marginalized population groups. Additionally, the project works to expand accessibility and availability of mental health services for people who suffered from the war including veterans, those who were in Russian captivity or deported by Russia, victims of sexual violence, elderly and internally displaced persons (IDPs). Active collaboration and support is provided to Ukraine’s National Coordination Centre on Mental Health implementing mental health sector reform, strengthening the capacity of current mental health providers, and preparing the new generation of psychologists and psychotherapists.
Local Health Systems Sustainability (LHSS-Ukraine)
Implementer: Abt Associates, Inc
Project Period: October 1, 2021 - September 30, 2024
The primary goal of LHSS-Ukraine is to strengthen health system governance by building the capacity of the Ministry of Health (MOH) to put in place a national telemedicine platform that will increase virtual access to essential health care services. This platform has resulted in greater transparency and accountability in the provision of healthcare services and ultimately lower out-of-pocket costs to patients by minimizing opportunities for corruption. LHSS also supports the rational scale up and integration of telemedicine capacities into the health system. Activity objectives include: (1) strengthen telemedicine governance, policies, and financing; (2) advance equitable and sustainable access to health services using telemedicine; and (3) strengthen the Government of Ukraine’s capacity to respond to urgent needs for conflict and post-conflict telemedicine solutions.
COMBATING INFECTIOUS DISEASE:
HealthLink
Implementer: 100% Life
Project Period: September 27, 2017 – June 28, 2024
The HealthLink activity accelerates Ukraine’s efforts to end HIV as a public health threat by 2030 through focused activities to: increase service demand of those most vulnerable and at risk, increase access to and delivery of quality HIV services, increase the linkages to HIV care, and reduce stigma and discrimination.
Support TB Control Efforts in Ukraine
Implementer: PATH
Project Period: October 1, 2019 – September 30, 2025
The goal of the Support TB Control Efforts in Ukraine Activity is to reduce the tuberculosis (TB) epidemic in Ukraine through early detection, appropriate care, and prevention for people living with TB, drug resistant TB, and HIV/TB co-infection.
Bringing Innovations to Treat TB in Ukraine Activity
Implementer: ICF Organization for Appropriate Technology in Health
Project Period: December 1, 2021 - November 30, 2025
The activity will improve tuberculosis (TB) treatment success rates, reduce mortality, and improve the TB treatment experience by introducing a new treatment regimen within an operational research setting in Ukraine. This Activity will implement a new TB drug regimen for treatment of hard-to-treat forms of TB, assess its efficacy, strengthen local scientific resources, and promote long-term collaboration between the National TB Program and local research organizations.
Community Action for HIV Control
Implementer: Pact, Inc.
Project Period: July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2026
The five-year Community Action for HIV Control (CAHC) Activity will accelerate Ukraine’s efforts to achieve HIV epidemic control by 2030 by improved prevention, testing, and linkage to care among key and priority populations. CAHC aims to increase the share of people living with HIV (PLHIV) who know their status and are linked to treatment and psycho-social support.
Re-Envisioning Excellence and Accessibility in Clinic-based HIV Services (REACH 95)
Implementer: PATH
Project Period: August 2021 - July 31, 2028
The goal of the REACH 95 project is to accelerate Ukraine’s efforts to achieve HIV epidemic control by 2030 by improving equitable access to high-quality HIV service delivery at public health care facilities through targeted testing and outreach to identify individuals who may have been exposed to the virus, linkage to prevention and care, and support for decentralized treatment services.
SOCIAL SECTOR (Mental Health and Disabilities):
Strengthening Rehabilitation Services in Health Systems (SRSHS)
Project Period April 1, 2019 – December 31, 2024
The goal of the activity is to strengthen emergency rehabilitation services in response to the war with Russia and build rehabilitation capacity by expanding the number of health facilities that provide assistive technology, prosthetics and orthotics (P&O) and rehabilitation services for Ukrainians that have suffered traumatic injury. This is accomplished by: establishing assistive technology units at regional health facilities, training providers in evidence-based rehabilitation approaches and building the capacity of P&O technicians, enhancing supervision and clinical practice for university students, supporting the establishment of spinal cord injury department in Lviv, and procuring assistive products.
IMMUNIZATION:
UNICEF Polio and Immunization II
Implementer: UNICEF
Project Period: April 1, 2024 - December 30, 2025
The activity aims to improve access for children, their caregivers, and pregnant women to routine immunization through procurement and delivery of vaccines and assuring that vaccine storage is reliable and follows European Union best practices. Program efforts will also be directed at capacity building through training at the national and regional levels on vaccine management and cold chain by keeping the vaccines stored during transport and at the final destination, and development of training materials.
