This presentation presents the investment case for health emergency preparedness and response in Ukraine.

1. WHO Health Emergencies Programme
at country level
Investing for a safe and
healthy Ukraine
Dr Jarno Habicht
WHO Representative
WHO Country Office – Ukraine

2. The European Region is vulnerable to
health threats
Infectious diseases and measles epidemics•
Outbreaks of West Nile Virus (WNV) and•
Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF)
Natural disasters (earthquakes, floods,•
forest fires, landslides)
Man• -made disasters (chemical or radiation
leaks)
Armed conflicts and spill over from•
neighbouring emergencies

3. Health emergencies affect
lives and livelihoods
In a typical year, Europe
suffers economic losses
of € 10 billion* from
disasters and
emergencies, and
hundreds of people die
or become severely ill
March 2018.* Estimate quoted in EFDRR. High-Level Dialogue Communiqué from 2017. European Forum for Disaster Risk
Reduction, Istanbul, 26–28 March 2017.

4. 15 European
countries and
areas have
been
identified by
WHO for
priority action
1All references to Kosovo in this document should be understood to be in
the context of United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 (1999)

5. Ukraine is prone to specific health threats
• Conflict in eastern Ukraine
resulting violence, poverty and
displacement
• Very low vaccine coverage and
vulnerability to vaccine-
preventable disease outbreaks,
including measles and polio
• Chemical, environmental and
nuclear hazards
Ukraine flood hazard map
data.euro.who.int/e-atlas/europe

6. IHR core capacities: what and why?
Structures, skills and people needed for•
health system to prepare for, detect
and respond to health emergencies
Legal obligation under the• International
Health Regulations of 2005 (IHR)
Capacities all WHO Member States•
committed to build, maintain and
report on annually

7. All countries report on 13 capacities
1. Legislation and financing
2. IHR Coordination and National Focal Point (NFP) functions
3. Zoonotic events and the human–animal interface
4. Food safety
5. Laboratory
6. Surveillance
7. Human resources
8. National Health Emergency Framework
9. Health service provision
10. Risk communication
11. Points of entry
12. Chemical events
13. Radiation emergencies

8. Why must Ukraine strengthen its
IHR core capacities?
1. Protect lives and livelihoods
2. Achieve best value-for-money
health investment
3. Show leadership & commitment
4. Observe legal obligations under
IHR treaty
5. Meet GPW13 goals, help
achieve UHC and other SDG
goals

9. Health emergency capacity:
a “best buy” health investment
• Many emergencies are
preventable, or can be mitigated
• Well-prepared countries see
fewer deaths and less disruption
Analysis by WHO shows $ 1 spent on health
emergency capacity produces a return of $ 8.30*
*WHO. A Healthier Humanity: The WHO Investment Case for 2019–2023, pp. 24–28. Geneva: World Health
2018.

10. WHO’s “Triple Billion” is every country’s
2023 target*
• 1 billion more people benefiting from UHC
• 1 billion more people better protected
from health emergencies
• 1 billion more people enjoying better
health and well-being
*WHO General Programme of Work for 2019–2023 (GPW 13)

11. Protecting people from health
emergencies contributes to SDGs

12. All countries committed to the Action Plan
to Improve Public Health Preparedness and
Response in the WHO European Region
VISION
GOAL
A WHO European Region where the impact of
health emergencies is prevented or minimized
Strengthen and maintain adequate capacities in
the European Region to effectively prevent,
prepare for, detect and respond to public health
threats and to provide assistance to affected
countries, when necessary, through three strategic
pillars

13. Public health
needs to be
protected across
the whole health
emergency cycle

14. “Two sides of the same coin”
• Strengthening health emergency capacity strengthens health
system resilience and UHC
• Strengthening health systems strengthens capacity to
prepare and respond to emergencies

15. WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE?
Ukraine's road to stronger health emergency capacities
@WHO/Jaqueline Christensen @WHO/Mihail Grigorev @WHO/Margarita Spasenovska @WHO/Jerome Flayosc

16. • 55% of reporting countries have preparedness
and response plans at all levels
• 73% of reporting countries have response
coordination and incident management at all
levels
• In 60% of reporting countries, all levels have
access to resources with which to mount a
response
• 50% of reporting countries have case
management services for all hazards at all
levels
©WHO
Progress towards protecting people in Europe

17. Ukraine making some progress
• With broad health reform focusing on primary health care,
opportunity for WHO and health authorities to shift from emergency
response to longer term capacity strengthening
• Some key recommendations from the 2015 assessment of Ukraine’s
IHR core capacities implemented. Ukraine has a National Public
Health Institute
• BUT… Ukraine’s capacities still limited, especially given the threats
it faces. Ukraine’s self-assessment 2018 puts IHR implementation
below the European Region average

18. How do Ukraine’s capacities need to be
strengthened?
Key areas for capacity
strengthening
Recommendation
Long-term strategy for
IHR / health emergency
capacities
Conduct Joint External Evaluation (JEE) to benchmark capacities
and identify gaps. Develop National Action Plan on Public Health
Emergency Preparedness. Get government to approve Plan and
fund it
Issues already identified Focus on risk communication, chemical events, and health
service provision identified in 2019 self-assessment
Human resources Address high turnover of public health staff with long-term
workforce strategy to capitalize on limited available resources
Leadership Increase knowledge, commitment and vision on IHR
implementation across public health workforce

19. WHO in action in Ukraine
• In 2017–2018, WHO and partners supported around 2.5 million people
in eastern Ukraine with medical supplies for primary, secondary care
and surgery
• WHO and partners work with Ukraine national immunization programme
to prevent future epidemics / outbreaks of measles, mumps, rubella and
polio
• Support is provided to build trauma care, laboratory, infection prevention
and control, and emergency risk communication capacities

20. Conclusion: the opportunity is there
• Crucial for Ukraine to hold JEE then follow up by a developing a
multisectoral National Action Plan on Public Health Emergency
Preparedness
– Shows political commitment and leadership
– Basis for finding resources
• WHO and partners offer advice and technical support but domestic
resources are key
– Health emergency capacity is part of UHC: needs to be sustainable
• Long-term well-funded strategy on health emergency capacities will
save lives and protect Ukraine’s economy

21. WHO Health Emergencies Programme in the European Region
http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/emergencies
WHO Country Office for Ukraine
http://www.euro.who.int/en/countries/ukraine
Thank you

22. WHO Health Emergencies
Programme in the
European Region
http://www.euro.who.int/e
n/health-topics/health-
emergencies
WHO Country Office for
Ukraine
http://www.euro.who.int/e
n/countries/ukraine
Thank you