PREVIEW
Beginning in 2022, USAID health programs invest more than $40 million each year to strengthen Ukrainian health systems; fighting infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS; fight against vaccine-preventable diseases; and expanding access to mental health, psychosocial and rehabilitation services. In 2021, USAID also committed $10.1 million in additional funding to support COVID-19 response and immunization efforts – part of more than $74 million in U.S. government support for Ukraine. since the start of the pandemic.
In the context of Russia’s unprovoked invasion in February 2022, USAID continued to partner with the Government of Ukraine (GOU) to improve essential health services and build the resilience of health systems and institutions to to continue to serve the Ukrainian people. USAID health activities continued to operate inside Ukraine, pivoting assistance to ease pressures on Ukraine’s health care system and address the direct human costs of war, disruptions to services and health needs of the large number of internally displaced persons. country. During the war, USAID’s network of implementing partners continued to work on the ground to address immediate needs and support long-term strengthening of Ukraine’s health system.
GOALS
USAID assistance helps Ukraine build a healthcare system that is transparent, efficient, free from corruption and responsive to the needs of the Ukrainian people. The programs aim to strengthen and rebuild the country’s capacity to respond to the heavy burdens of HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis C (HCV) co-infection and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB); improving Ukraine’s immunization programs; advancing health reforms to ensure that more Ukrainians have access to affordable, quality health care; and expanding access to mental health and rehabilitation services. These objectives remain essential to support an efficient and effective response to the health impacts of war.
OUR PROGRAMS
I. FIGHT AGAINST INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND IMPROVEMENT OF HEALTH SECURITY
HIV/AIDS: With funding from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), USAID is partnering with Ukraine’s Ministry of Health, local government, health facilities, and civil society organizations to eliminate HIV/AIDS as a threat to public health. USAID technical assistance improves the quality of HIV services, ensures that more Ukrainians know their HIV status, connects people living with HIV/AIDS to treatment and care, retains people on treatment, and reduces stigma and discrimination. Since the invasion, activities continue to provide support to facilities providing services to people living with HIV in PEPFAR priority regions in Ukraine that remain under GOU control. Outreach efforts now include services to internally displaced populations and an additional focus ranging from identifying new cases of HIV to maintaining access to antiretroviral treatment (ART) for people living with HIV through activities such as home delivery of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs and the provision of counseling and adherence. Support. Following Russia’s large-scale invasion, USAID supported the delivery of more than 18 million doses of PEPFAR-funded antiretrovirals in April 2022. Antiretrovirals are now being distributed nationwide, including in liberated areas such as Chernihiv and in the front line oblasts of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia.
TUBERCULOSIS: USAID supports the Ukrainian Tuberculosis Program to mitigate the TB epidemic in Ukraine through early detection, appropriate care, and prevention for people living with TB, drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) and tuberculosis/HIV. Amid Russia’s large-scale invasion, USAID supported continuity of treatment in 12 oblasts in areas that remain under Ukrainian control. USAID is working with the MOH Center for Public Health (CPH) to provide more effective TB services as Ukraine moves to increased use of primary health care centers. TUSAID’s Support TB Control Efforts in Ukraine program continues to support efforts to maintain TB services in targeted oblasts and assist central authorities in maintaining continuity of TB diagnosis, treatment and support . With a large number of Ukrainians displaced due to fighting, additional assistance is being provided to help track and support TB patients to avoid treatment interruption, through social, medical and nutritional support to patients, including food aid. USAID continues to support the transportation of essential TB drugs and diagnostics in most supported regions, with the expansion of health worker transportation where security permits.
HEALTH SECURITY AND COVID-19: USAID is providing technical assistance and support for Ukraine’s response to COVID-19, including support for active case finding, clinical case management, risk communication, and oxygen supply to hospitals. hospitals. USAID programs also support laboratory systems and purchase essential commodities, medical equipment, and supplies. To support continued COVID-19 vaccinations, USAID continues to provide support and technical assistance for national pandemic planning and preparedness, immunization coverage, communications and demand generation, and shipments. vaccine logistics (both to and within the country). Beyond COVID-19, USAID’s new Public Health System Resilience and Recovery (PHS R&R) activity, awarded in May 2022, supports the Ukrainian and regional public health system to improve preparedness, detection and response capacity to deal with public health threats.
IMMUNIZATION: Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, routine immunization coverage was improving in Ukraine due to increased access to primary healthcare. The pandemic has brought new challenges to achieving full vaccination coverage, and Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine has made routine vaccinations much more difficult. In partnership with UNICEF, the World Health Organization, and CDC, USAID continues to support immunization efforts by combating vaccine misinformation, reducing vaccine hesitancy, building technical capacity health providers and helping the Ministry of Health build strong procurement and supply chain systems.
II. SOCIAL SERVICES
MENTAL HEALTH: USAID/Ukraine is working with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Veterans Affairs (MVA), and veterans’ organizations to expand access to non-medical community mental health services for veterans, their family members and displaced persons. In addition, USAID’s new Public Health System Resilience and Recovery activity includes assistance to increase access and sustainability of mental health services for conflict-affected populations at the community level.
PHYSICAL REHABILITATION: USAID works with WHO, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Social Policy, and selected health facilities to expand access to physical rehabilitation services, introduce international best practices in neurorehabilitation, promote a profession of physiotherapist and increase information about available rehabilitation services and assistive technologies. . USAID is helping the GOU and its partners introduce rehabilitation services at the primary health care level and expand the availability of assistive technologies for people with disabilities and people injured in the current fighting.
III. HEALTH REFORM AND SYSTEM RECOVERY
USAID has helped Ukraine undertake major health system reforms since 2016 to eliminate corruption and informal payments, and make health services more accountable to patients. USAID supported the creation of the National Health Services of Ukraine in 2017, which today contracts more than 95% of all public health facilities to provide government-funded health services, covers more than 32 million Ukrainians (78% of the population) and helped reduce the prevalence of informal payments for primary health care by 65% in just three years. USAID also supports Ukraine’s Central Medical Supply Agency, which has saved hundreds of millions of dollars in Ukrainian public funds through transparent and responsible procurement since 2019.
USAID’s ongoing health reform activities have helped the Ukrainian health sector respond to significant new war-related stresses and ensure the continuity of services. USAID’s Health Reform Support (HRS) activity helped the Ministry of Health quickly adapt its funding systems to help facilities meet emergency needs, protect information against cyber threats and to support data-driven national recovery planning. USAID’s SAFEMed program helped adapt supply chains and manage inbound humanitarian donations to keep drugs flowing to facilities and avoid drug shortages.
Comments are closed.