WHO Representative in Ukraine: Number of attacks on Ukraine's healthcare system increase by 20% in 2025
Head of the World Health Organization (WHO) Office in Ukraine Dr. Jarno Habicht, in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine, spoke about the challenges facing Ukraine's national healthcare system in 2026, as well as the situation with medical care and access to medicines in frontline areas.
Author: Hanna Levchenko
What are the most pressing health challenges facing communities in frontline areas of Ukraine right now?
While we may feel some relief after the winter, preparations must already begin for the next winter. Ensuring that health facilities have reliable energy, heating and water sources, supplies, and support for health workers so that people in Ukraine continue to access health care even during the most challenging periods. Further, this approach is important in primary care, hospitals, as well as pharmacies to continue services through seasons.
Based on our recent survey, several key issues have emerged that are significantly impacting healthcare access in Ukraine. As before, a substantial share of respondents who needed medicines reported difficulties with obtaining them, most commonly due to high costs and availability issues. In frontline regions people were more likely to report closed pharmacies, security constraints and financial barriers.
Last year, the number of attacks on medical and pharmaceutical warehouses has tripled compared to the previous year, damaging not only the buildings but also health assets as medicines and equipment. The medications most difficult to access are those required for pain management, heart conditions, antibiotics, and high blood pressure.
In the most affected regions, 59% of respondents assessed their health as poor or very poor. The mental health burden is long-term and profound. After years of continuous shelling and other horrible challenges, our estimates indicate that 62% reported worsening mental health over the past 12 months. This issue requires continuous attention.
Access to surgical care is uneven. Among respondents requiring surgical care, a high proportion reported difficulties in accessing care, particularly in frontline regions, where 83% reported problems with access compared to 62% in other parts of the country.
Over 6 400 patients requiring trauma treatment, oncology services, burn care, rehabilitation or prosthetic support have been able to access life-saving services abroad through the Ukraine Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) programme with technical and operational support from WHO.
Access to health care remains a critical challenge, particularly for people living with chronic conditions and elderly population due to damaged or inaccessible facilities, long distances, and ongoing security risks. These barriers disproportionately affect the most vulnerable and those requiring continuous treatment for chronic illnesses. Interruptions in care can lead to worsening health conditions and increased complications.
In frontline oblasts, more than 740 health facilities have been fully or partially damaged, significantly reducing access to medical care for communities living near active conflict zones. Vulnerable populations in these areas are facing increasingly limited access to timely medical assistance, while ongoing attacks have led many healthcare workers to relocate from the most affected regions. As a result, frontline areas bear the heaviest burden, suffering not only from recurring attacks but also from the deterioration of already fragile health services.
Нealthcare workers are under immense pressure, facing heavy workloads and ongoing stress throughout the years of the ongoing war. Tragically, many healthcare workers have lost their lives, and others have relocated to other regions. The shortage of healthcare professionals is another significant challenge that Ukraine faces, severely impacting its ability to provide adequate care to those in need.
Addressing these challenges requires a combination of providing targeted humanitarian support, strengthening and continuing reform of the national health system to have access to care, and taking recovery steps to ensure that people living closest to the frontline continue to receive essential health services. During my recent visits to Sumy, Kharkiv, and Dnipro regions in February 2026, I noticed this triple approach taking place.
What challenges does the WHO face in delivering medical supplies and aid to frontline areas, and how are these being overcome?
Since the start of the Russian Federation's full-scale invasion, from February 2022 the WHO has verified more than 2,900 attacks on healthcare across Ukraine, which took the lives of at least 239 health workers and patients, and injured 955. In 2025, we have noted a 20% increase in attacks on healthcare compared to the previous year.
Also, last year, our team came under attack while delivering WHO trauma and non-prescription medicine kits in the Kherson region as part of a UN interagency convoy with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the World Food Programme. As humanitarians, regardless of international law, we face the same security risks while delivering essential supplies as anyone else.
Nevertheless, in 2025, a total of 1.9 million people were reached with various health interventions. We continue to deliver supplies to hard-to-reach areas such as Sviatohirsk in Donetsk, Kupyansk in Kharkiv regions and many more less known hromadas on the line of contact. Last year WHO delivered 319 metric tonnes of medical supplies to 954 health facilities through participation in 41 UN inter-agency convoys and 40 direct WHO deliveries. As usual, for frontline areas, we provide over-the-counter kits, noncommunicable disease treatments for primary care, emergency health kits for children and communities, as well as trauma and surgery kits for hospitals. Overall, since 2022, the WHO has disseminated more than 4,900 metric tons of equipment and other medical supplies in Ukraine.
Can you elaborate on the specific activities and initiatives that the WHO is currently pursuing to address health needs in these regions?
Our team in Ukraine is complementing the Ministry of Health, local authorities, and service providers, using a wide range of activities to ensure that essential health services continue to reach communities in frontline regions.
During the winter, for facilities to remain operational, WHO provided heating equipment, inverters, water stations, and other water supply solutions to ensure healthcare services continued even during power outages or harsh winter conditions we faced.
Supporting primary health care in the frontline, WHO continues to install modular healthcare units and modular stations for emergency medical teams (EMS) teams, where facilities were damaged or destroyed. As of now, 57 units in 11 regions have been installed to ensure the continuation of healthcare in communities.
To strengthen emergency preparedness and response capacity, various emergency-related trainings have been organized and completed by more than 2500 health workers—such as mass casualty management, trauma care, and emergency response coordination—so that medical staff are better prepared to respond to sudden surges of patients during attacks or other emergencies.
Another priority is supporting the national laboratory system. WHO provides equipment, supplies, and technical assistance to government laboratories across the country, helping ensure the continued detection and monitoring of infectious diseases and other public health threats. To address specific health risks, WHO also supports the provision of critical medical supplies, including rabies vaccines, which are essential for preventing and treating rabies exposures, particularly in areas where veterinary and public health services have been disrupted.
To respond quickly to emergencies, such as mass-casualty attacks, the WHO prepositions essential medical supplies and emergency health kits across the frontline regions. This ensures that medicines, trauma kits, and other critical items can be rapidly deployed when needed the most. These preparedness efforts also take into account broader regional risks, ensuring we have the necessary equipment and other medical products in the country.
In 2026, Ukraine introduced the human papillomavirus vaccine into its national immunization schedule for girls aged 12–13, with around 47,500 girls already vaccinated in the first months of the programme. WHO supported the introduction of the vaccine into the national immunization schedule — the first addition to the schedule in nearly two decades. Working closely with the Ministry of Health and partners, WHO provided comprehensive technical support for the rollout, including the development of the operational introduction plan, clinical guidelines, vaccine safety standards, and communication, as we are a technical organization, accumulating worldwide knowledge dealing with healthcare to share it when the country implements new healthcare activities to improve the health of people. This support has been critical in enabling Ukraine to prevent cervical cancer, which causes around 3,000 new cases and up to 1,100 deaths annually in the country.
WHO supports efforts to improve nutrition and prevent noncommunicable diseases in Ukraine through both school-based initiatives. This included “Five Steps to Healthy Nutrition” initiative, implemented already in 35 schools across four oblasts, including Kharkiv. An initiative promotes healthy eating and increased awareness among students, teachers and parents, while strengthening collaboration between the health and education sectors.
Thousands of people have suffered from complex injuries due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. Together with mental health care, rehabilitation is the most needed health service in the country. WHO has been supporting the development of rehabilitation services in Ukraine since 2016, focusing on strengthening systems and building workforce capacity. To support the Government’s efforts, WHO prioritized building up specialized rehabilitation services; strengthening policy, and financing for rehabilitation, developing a modern system to deliver rehabilitation services as early as possible after acute health events, such as stroke or trauma.
Mental health needs remain high, with 72% of people surveyed experiencing issues in the past year, including anxiety and depression. Only 20% of those sought professional help. WHO has supported the launch of the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Programme, initiated by First Lady Olena Zelenska, and contributed to key reforms, including the adoption of a new mental health law in 2025 that recognizes mental health as a cross-sectoral priority. Through the Mental Health Gap Programme (mhGAP), WHO has helped integrate mental health services into primary health care nationwide, with more than 8,800 primary healthcare workers trained offline, and around 150,000 health professionals of various specialties joined the mhGAP online course, enabling access to care for people seeking care. In parallel, WHO supports the development of community-based mental health centres — contributing to a more accessible, modern and people-centred mental health system in Ukraine.
Together, these initiatives help strengthen both the immediate humanitarian response and the recovery of the health system, ensuring that people in the most affected regions can continue to access essential health care.
How is the WHO working to ensure access to essential healthcare services for populations affected by the war?
In addition to what was mentioned, WHO also supports mobile primary care outreach teams that visit communities where access to health facilities is limited. These outreach health units delivered 19 824 PHC consultations in hard-to-reach locations in 2025, ensuring that vulnerable populations – including older people and those with limited mobility – can still receive care.
To reach areas that remain difficult to access due to security risks or damaged infrastructure and where pharmacies are not available, WHO provides over-the-counter (OTC) medicine kits and essential medical supplies through humanitarian partners and also directly in Donetsk, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and other oblasts. WHO armored vehicles are used to safely deliver these supplies to frontline locations. Deliveries of 9800 OTC medicine kits were completed in 2025, and more than 1700 kits were delivered in 2026, benefiting more than 33 600 people by addressing common acute conditions and reducing pressure on overstretched health facilities.
Through these combined efforts, WHO works to ensure that people living in frontline areas can still access essential health care and that the health system remains operational even in the most difficult circumstances.
How does the WHO coordinate with other international organizations and humanitarian agencies to create a unified health response?
Coordination is really important at least for not duplicating activities and to enlarge effectiveness of the support in communities. That is why WHO works closely with national authorities, UN agencies within the country, other international organizations, and humanitarian partners to ensure that the health response is aligned with the needs of affected communities.
A key coordination mechanism is the Humanitarian Health Cluster, which is led by WHO. Through the Health Cluster, WHO brings together more than 130 actors to jointly assess health needs, share information, and coordinate activities. Close collaboration with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and regional Departments of Health, as well as other national and regional authorities, is central to ensuring that humanitarian support aligns with national health priorities and strengthens the health system. This coordination helps integrate emergency response efforts with the broader recovery of the health sector.
As Humanitarian Health Cluster lead, Sectoral Working Group co-chair with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the United States, and facilitator of the Health Partners Group, WHO is a central platform for convening the health landscape that brings together 200+ humanitarian partners and up to 50 development partners. Our goal is to support alignment among partners' actions and increase awareness of national priorities and policies, ultimately aiming for healthcare recovery and the good health of Ukraine's population.
Over 450 organizations of various profiles (national and international NGOs, public service providers and others) working under umbrella of Ukraine’s Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Technical Working Group, co-chaired by WHO, worked with the Government to support community projects, run trainings, and help deliver services and activities. As well, the WHO continued to support the work of the well-known All-Ukrainian Mental Health Programme, initiated by First Lady Olena Zelenska in 2022, which aims to address the current needs of the war-affected population, while future-proofing Ukraine’s mental health system.
Another way the WHO is using for coordination and sharing of an experience with the healthcare community around the country is by contributing to the arrangement of national healthcare events like the Primary healthcare conference, Rehabilitation Forum, 1st National Congress Emergency Medical Care 2025 and many more, which brings together government institutions, development partners, and health experts to coordinate efforts for Ukraine’s health system.
What are your hopes and priorities for the health situation in Ukraine in the coming months, and how can the international community assist in these efforts?
I would say it is important to ensure continuous attention to the war and health situation in Ukraine from the partners and maintain support for the people of Ukraine, saving more lives and complementing the Government’s efforts, to ensure healthcare remains operational. This includes ensuring facilities are equipped with heating, water, and essential medical supplies to meet the needs of those affected by the war. And also to move on with health reform, and take active steps in recovery.
What are the overall predictions and plans for 2026?
Despite the uncertainty about how the war will evolve in 2026, WHO will remain mobilized with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine to improve access to health for 700 000 people in Ukraine to address humanitarian needs. At the same time, in Ukraine, the WHO is actively involved in the broader health system in Ukraine — including prevention and treatment of noncommunicable diseases, vaccine provision, laboratory upgrades and many more. As a result, the total number of people benefiting from WHO’s support to health authorities and services is significantly higher.
WHO’s focus will remain on saving lives by maintaining and expanding access to emergency and trauma care for people living along the front lines or in areas affected by attacks. To ensure continuous access to essential health services, it will be critical to scale up the integration of rehabilitation and mental health services in primary health care (PHC) facilities, strengthen referral pathways during evacuations, and maintain a coordinated health response, including by building the capacity of local and community-based service providers. This entails a strong winter response to address energy challenges. WHO will reinforce disease surveillance and prevention to protect communities from both communicable and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).
At the same time, we remain committed to supporting early recovery and strengthening the resilience of the health system in alignment with the National Health Strategy 2024–2030 and the WHO Country Cooperation Strategy, Ukraine 2024–2030.
Our team is involved in health financing with a focus on ensuring that limited resources are used efficiently, transparently, and where they are most needed, particularly in the context of war. An important milestone is the approval of Ukraine’s first-ever Health Strategy 2030, developed with WHO’s technical support, which sets a long-term vision for reforms and recovery. Through policy recommendations and advocacy, WHO contributed to increased funding for mental health services and more efficient financing of rehabilitation care, including proposed improvements to the Programme of Medical Guarantees. At the same time, WHO invested in building national expertise by training over 350 professionals in health financing to build a more resilient, efficient and equitable health system aligned with European standards. Also, the Organization continues to provide expert knowledge and policy guidance, including alignment of the country for EU accession from a health perspective and emergency preparedness.
To prevent and control NCDs, which worsened in 2025, especially in war-affected regions, WHO supports strengthening both community-level prevention and the capacity of the health system to manage chronic conditions. WHO focuses on major NCDs such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and their key risk factors, including tobacco use, harmful alcohol consumption and unhealthy diets. The Organization enhances the skills of health workers through nationwide trainings on hypertension management, cervical cancer screening, while also developing practical clinical tools and curricula to standardize treatment. At the population level, WHO led large-scale behaviour change campaigns on salt reduction and hypertension, reaching millions of people, and promoted cancer prevention through targeted awareness initiatives. To support evidence-based policymaking, WHO aim to conduct this year STEPS survey on key NCD risk factors in Ukraine, and some other. In 2025 we conducted national surveys on tobacco, alcohol and nutrition, assessed the cancer care system, and generated data to guide reforms. Through these efforts, WHO is supporting Ukraine to reduce NCD risk factors, to improve early detection and treatment to address one of the country’s leading causes of illness and death.
WHO continue to support Ukraine in strengthening protection against vaccine-preventable diseases by ensuring resilient immunization systems. In 2025, a major milestone was the introduction of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine into the national immunization schedule. WHO also supported the development and rollout of the updated National Immunization Schedule for 2026, training over 20,000 health workers to improve vaccination safety. To safeguard vaccine quality in emergency conditions, WHO introduced innovative cold chain simulation exercises, preparing health workers to respond to disruptions such as power outages and attacks.
WHO supports health service delivery in Ukraine by strengthening both the quality and accessibility of care across the entire health system, particularly in the context of war-related challenges. Our team provides strategic guidance, technical assistance and direct operational support to improve service delivery in hospitals, primary care and community settings, ensuring care is safe, effective and people-centred. This included strengthening infection prevention and control and combating antimicrobial resistance through training health workers and supporting national surveillance systems. WHO also workes to expand access to affordable, quality medicines by providing policy recommendations, supporting the expansion of the Essential Medicines List, and promoting public awareness of the Affordable Medicines Programme. Through this approach, WHO complements national authorities to maintain essential health services while building a high-quality health system for the future.
What is the situation with pharmacies in frontline areas? What do you think about the changes in licensing conditions?
Access to medicines remains constrained, particularly in frontline areas, where financial barriers, security concerns and pharmacy closures were more frequently reported. This is one of the reasons humanitarian support is more targeted for these regions.
Speaking about licensing conditions, WHO welcomes the Government of Ukraine’s efforts to improve efficiency, transparency and accountability in the pharmaceutical sector. A strong regulatory framework is essential for protecting public health, particularly during wartime. We support licensing norms that strengthen guaranteed access to socially significant medicines, including mechanisms that ensure the availability of medicines procured through state programs.
Measures aimed at reducing unfair market concentration and monopolization can, under appropriate conditions, contribute to fairer pricing and improved availability of medicines, while creating a more transparent and predictable environment for responsible investors.
The quality of pharmaceutical care is a cornerstone of the health system. WHO supports efforts to enhance professionalism, responsibility and accountability in the pharmacy sector through updated qualification and staffing requirements.
Sustainability of the pharmacy sector requires both regulation and support. Alongside regulatory discipline, WHO encourages measures that support good business practices: simplified administrative procedures, predictable inspections and reduced bureaucratic burden. Such an approach is essential for maintaining services now and for rebuilding pharmacy infrastructure damaged by the war, ensuring continuity of care for communities most affected by the war.
Healthcare services in frontline areas, in particular, if there is no appropriate specialist/medical facility, what can the patient do?
Access to specialized medical care in the frontline area can be limited due to damage to health facilities, security risks, and shortages of health workers. In such situations, patients can still receive support through several mechanisms designed to bridge these gaps and ensure continuity of care.
For communities where access to health facilities is limited, the WHO supports the operation of emergency medical care (EMC) teams and mobile primary healthcare teams. These teams provide consultations, basic treatment, stabilization, and referrals.
To restore the health care infrastructure where Ukrainian nurses and doctors continue to provide services, the WHO installs modular primary healthcare facilities.
At the same time, humanitarian support complements the national health system by providing medical supplies, equipment, and operational support to health facilities and health workers who continue delivering care under extremely challenging conditions. This support helps maintain essential services while the health system adapts to the pressures of the war.
Together, these efforts help ensure that even in frontline areas, patients can access basic medical care, receive referrals, and connect with specialists when needed. Nevertheless, we should acknowledge that there is still much to do as the war continues and the situation changes, and that every season brings different challenges.
