Ukraine receives confirmation of 4.5-mln euro EU4Health program funding
MOSCOW. Jan 11 (Interfax) - Ukraine has received confirmation of a 4.5-million-euro funding for ten joint projects with the European Union member states under the EU4Health program.
The program is being implemented under the 2022 agreement between Ukraine and the EU on Ukraine's involvement in the EU4Health program, Ukrainian media reported, citing the Health Ministry.
Under the program, the European Commission approved funding to implement projects in Ukraine on preventing cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, monitoring and preventing cancer and other non-communicable diseases, tightening infection control in hospitals and among health workers, improving the diagnosis of rare diseases and sharing treatment experience between the EU member states.
The projects will include training specialists in the control of medicines and medical products in line with EU standards, the most advanced treatment methods and medical technology evaluation, as well as in the introduction of the European system for evaluating the safety of human blood, tissues and cells.
In addition, the projects are aimed at integrating the Ukrainian e-health system into the EU unified electronic health system, interaction between the EU member states for joint determination of priorities, goals and measures in order to improve the global health of EU citizens and enhance the system of response to cross-border threats and their epidemiological surveillance.
According to the Health Ministry, 12 contests were announced for non-governmental organizations as part of the 2023 program, with a total budget of around 20 million euros. In particular, they cover such areas as access to healthcare, mental health, prevention and diagnosis of non-communicable diseases.
Each country participating in the program establishes a national program committee comprising representatives of the Health Ministry and names project area coordinators for the country. Specialists from the Center for Public Health have been designated as such in Ukraine.
The total budget of the EU4Health program for 2021-2027 is 5.3 billion euros. EU4Health is implemented through annual working programs. The agreement enables Ukraine to receive EU funding in the health sector on equal terms with the EU member states, Norway, Iceland, and Moldova.
Ukraine's involvement in the program requires payment of an annual contribution totaling 12.1 million euros in 2022-2027. In 2022, an agreement was signed to cancel the membership fee for Ukraine for that year. Currently, the Health Ministry and the Foreign Ministry are working to have the agreement ratified in the Verkhovna Rada and on abolishing membership fees for Ukraine until the end of the program in 2027.