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The Ministry of Health of Ukraine, together with the World Bank, is launching a new project in the field of health system restoration – “Strengthening the Health System and Saving Life” (HEAL). 

On 22 December the Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Liashko and the World Bank director for Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova Arup Banerji signed an agreement on a loan of 100 million euros and an agreement on an irrevocable grant of 10 million US dollars from the Global Financial Fund. These funds will provide initial funding for the project, the total cost of which will be 500 million US dollars. 

Currently, with the support of the World Bank, the MoH of Ukraine continues to implement two major projects in the healthcare sector. In particular, these are the projects “Improving Healthcare in the Service of People” and “Emergency Response to COVID-19 and Vaccination in Ukraine”. The total amount of the World Bank loan for these projects is 681.1 million US dollars. 

“Since the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine, the MoH and the World Bank continue to actively cooperate in the healthcare sector. Due to the strong support of the World Bank, the Ministry was able to ensure Ukraine’s ability to counter the COVID-19 pandemic. Now we have a reliable partner who helps support the healthcare system in Ukraine's fight against russian aggression. And we are very grateful for such active support and assistance,” - said Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Liashko. “Our cooperation continues in a new project that is able to meet important urgent needs for medical services, as well as restore the healthcare system, taking into account the challenges of the war and post-war period.” 

The project will include measures to meet new and urgent needs in the field of mental health and rehabilitation. In particular, activities aimed at introducing effective rehabilitation and mental health services will be funded. This will allow better responding to the current crisis situation and creating better platforms for providing services in the future. 

The project provides for the purchase of necessary equipment for rehabilitation and vehicles for mobile multidisciplinary mental health teams; carrying out rehabilitation work in institutions providing services in the field of mental health and rehabilitation; training of medical workers of health care institutions at the primary and specialized levels.

The HEAL project plan provides for measures to restore and support primary health care facilities and hospitals. First of all, we are talking about the restoration of damaged and destroyed buildings and structures of medical institutions. 

Another important area of the project is to support digitalization and innovation in the medical field. In particular, it is the development of e-health and digital technologies that can not only improve the efficiency, transparency, and control of the provision of services but also make them more convenient for patients. 

The Ministry of Health of Ukraine expresses its gratitude to the World Bank team for supporting the medical industry of Ukraine and for the high assessment of the work of the MoH team. Cooperation between the MoH and the World Bank is an important step towards strengthening Ukraine on the way to victory over the russian aggressor. 

It should be recalled that the MoH and the World Bank discussed the further approval of the project “Strengthening the Health System and Saving Life” (Heal Ukraine) by the Board of Directors of the World Bank.