© GFA | Mohammed Farouk, Key Expert on Blood Safety and Olena Valinkevych, Project Assistant
CONFERENCE: UKRAINE ADVANCES EU INTEGRATION IN HEALTHCARE
On 16 October, Kyiv hosted the Ukraine-EU Integration: Healthcare conference, a significant event aimed at aligning Ukraine’s healthcare system with EU regulations and standards. The conference brought together high-level representatives from the European Commission, the World Health Organization (WHO), and Ukraine’s Ministry of Health. The event was organized by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and supported by the EU-funded project Support to Ukraine for Developing a Modern Public Health System, implemented by GFA Consulting Group and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. The conference centered on key areas such as public health reform, digitization, pharmaceutical adaptation, and emergency preparedness amid the ongoing challenges of war and recovery.
Key speakers included Viktor Liashko, Ukraine’s Minister of Health, Jarno Habicht, WHO’s representative in Ukraine, and officials from the European Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety and the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations. In an online address, European Commissioner Stella Kyriakides reaffirmed the EU’s strong commitment to support healthcare reforms in Ukraine. Discussions emphasized the urgency of modernizing Ukraine’s healthcare infrastructure, improving service delivery, and ensuring access to safe, high-quality medicines to meet EU standards. GFA key expert Mohammed Farouk presented a session on the evolution and achievements of Ukraine’s blood transfusion sector in the context of European integration. He focused on Ukraine’s approach of running in parallel EU integration activities together with responding to emergencies, particularly in terms of a blood system reform. Under one of the mentioned project activities, the promotion of voluntary blood donation and digitization of Ukraine’s blood transfusion system has been accelerated. This ensures steady safe blood supplies, proper coordination, and user-friendly blood donation environment despite the war.
The conference also showcased broader collaboration between Ukraine and EU member states concerning technical partnerships aimed at expanding healthcare capabilities and sharing expertise. Agreements have already been signed with several countries, including Latvia and Sweden, to support Ukraine in aligning its healthcare priorities with European standards.
As Ukraine continues to face the challenges of war, this conference was vital for the country’s recovery by reinforcing the collaboration between the EU and Ukraine. Moreover, it highlighted how such initiatives are essential to building and ensuring a resilient, modern healthcare sector capable of meeting European standards.
The Support to Ukraine for Developing a Modern Public Health System project is part of a broader EU effort to support healthcare transformation in Ukraine. In partnership with the Public Health Centre of Ukraine and Ukraine Transplantology Coordination Centre UTCC, the project assists Ukraine’s Ministry of Health in aligning with EU policies, driving significant, long-term improvements in public health and medical services.
