Bratislava, 28 April 2023

Amid the relentless struggle in Ukraine – now in its second yr, and the refugee diaspora it has resulted in – well being ministers, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and United Nations (UN) companies got here collectively in Bratislava this month to debate the challenges, options and methods ahead for addressing the well being wants of Ukrainians who’ve sought non permanent safety from the battle in neighbouring international locations.

The high-level session was organized by the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic and WHO/Europe. Senior well being leaders from Czechia, Hungary, Poland, the Republic of Moldova and Romania travelled to Bratislava to satisfy with their Slovak hosts for the ministerial discussion board and session to debate the teachings discovered in the course of the previous years’ response to what has been the most important humanitarian emergency within the WHO European Region for the reason that Second World War.

Since 24 February 2022, over 20 million folks have left Ukraine to hunt refuge in different international locations. 8 million are presently hosted in neighbouring European Union (EU) international locations – of which 5 million have utilized for non permanent safety – which grant them the identical or comparable entry to well being care as different residents.

However, because the struggle grinds on, sustainable options are wanted, significantly as current well being methods have been unprepared for such an occasion and there may be an acute scarcity of well being workers within the Region.

“Since the beginning of the war, almost 200 000 citizens of Ukraine came to Slovak territory alone, while more than 113 000 of them requested temporary protection. Many have needed primary health care and elementary treatment, as well as complex medical interventions or continuation of treatment,” defined Michal Palkovič, State Secretary of the Slovak Ministry of Health. “Unfortunately, we are not the first countries to face challenges related to displacement of this scale. Only through mutual support and cooperation can we manage this difficult situation together. Our neighbours from Ukraine undeniably deserve our help.”

Some widespread challenges have been recognized by a number of Member States in the course of the session. These included an absence of preparedness, because of the unprecedented nature of such a big disaster in a continent that has loved a long time of peace. This meant that authorized provisions have been initially not enough for the response. Humanitarian regulation needed to be utilized nationwide and particular legal guidelines enacted to make sure that enough monetary and useful resource administration have been in place. Crisis administration and useful resource allocation have been main points within the early section of the disaster, with multisectoral coordination wanted.

In many international locations, WHO has labored with ministries of well being to guide the coordination of well being sector companions within the response. The lack of exact information, reminiscent of affected person well being information and vaccination information in addition to info on entry to well being care, have proved an obstacle in offering efficient companies and equitable entry to well being and social care.

However, regardless of the immense and exponential well being wants of the brand new arrivals, governments and companies have been typically capable of undertake inventive and sensible strategies to assist these in want. The EU Temporary Protective Directive was important for entry to well being care however required swift legislative adjustments. With the disaster in its second yr, sustainable options will have to be sought, reminiscent of together with Ukrainian refugees in nationwide medical health insurance schemes. Practical options embody higher IT methods, reminiscent of for translations, info supply, communication and appointment reserving methods.

Collaboration between stakeholders has been crucial to strengthen the response, with nationwide governments, the EU, UN companies, NGOs and communities all enjoying their half. Stronger hyperlinks with the Ukrainian well being authorities are seen as key to higher perceive well being care obstacles and cross-border well being information, and making certain efficient medical evacuations and repatriations are carried out. Engaging refugees within the response can even assist to construct capacities and belief and empower refugees.

The significance of this fashion of working was confused by Dr Gerald Rockenschaub, Regional Emergency Director for WHO/Europe, “In the refugee-receiving and -hosting countries we work hand-in-hand with ministries of health and our partners to address the health needs of families fleeing Ukraine to facilitate a comprehensive end-to-end approach. We do that to ensure access to primary and specialized health care and to strengthen mental health and chronic disease services.”

“We know that priorities for those within and outside Ukraine’s borders will continue to include tackling mental health needs, ensuring physical services and rehabilitation are maintained, and rebuilding the country’s health system,” added Dr Rockenschaub. We will proceed to advocate for entry, so we will handle the humanitarian well being wants of all folks in Ukraine. We all want for this struggle to finish. But we should face the truth that it could not accomplish that anytime quickly, and its influence could be felt for years or a long time.”

One space of explicit focus was the non permanent inclusion of the Ukrainian well being workforce into the nationwide well being methods of host international locations. There are advantages for each the host and refugee populations: More well being staff will ease the staffing disaster and allow Ukrainian workers to take care of their abilities, and refugees will also be handled by medics talking their language. However, well being professionals have to be granted permission for medical apply and have language abilities to quickly work in host international locations. UN companies are working intently with ministries of well being to assist streamline that course of.

The want for continued assist was widely known, together with the need of utilizing learnings and examples of excellent practices from the Ukraine refugee response and different emergencies to tell future actions. Long-term planning is seen as key to a sustainable resolution to refugees’ well being wants.

The outcomes of the assembly will inform future coverage and strategic approaches within the Region. These embody the event of methods and instruments for addressing refugees’ well being wants and rights. Additionally, the outcomes will contribute to the identification of subsequent steps for longer-term strategic planning and sustained efforts by refugee-hosting international locations, together with cross-country collaborations and partnerships, which can in the end contribute to the event of sustainable well being service supply for the host and refugee communities. 

The findings can even inform the brand new regional motion plan for refugee and migrant well being within the European Region 2023–2030 that can be offered to Member States on the subsequent WHO/Europe Regional Committee in Kazakhstan in October 2023.

The Ukrainian Ambassador to Slovakia, Mr Myroslav Kastran, expressed the pressing want to assist his nation’s residents who’ve sought sanctuary overseas. “Ukrainians cannot be sure they will wake up tomorrow,” he mentioned. “The war is the reason that Ukrainian parents are forced to look for safe places for their children. We need to find ways to help people in this context. We wish to thank the Slovak people for making this country feel like home. We will never forget it.”