Kyiv, 9 June 2023 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with financial support from the Government of Canada, recently opened six new public health and recovery centres in health care facilities located in Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Poltava and Sumy oblasts. The state-of-the-art facilities are specifically designed to accommodate up to 1,000 persons each and to serve as crucial training and rehabilitation centres for health care workers.

The centres, which are already fully operational and accessible, provide a secure environment for dedicated psychological care teams to offer their services to various groups of clients. Furthermore, in collaboration with its strategic partners, UNDP will conduct comprehensive training programmes to certify doctors and nurses in specific, in-demand skills. The first training sessionsin cardiopulmonary resuscitation, paediatric resuscitation, psychological support and cancer awareness are scheduled to take place in early June.

Addressing the profound needs and challenges posed by war, Christophoros Politis, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, highlighted the critical role played by these centers in Ukraine. “These bastions of hope and healing are more than just health care facilities – they are lifelines for communities scarred by war,” he said. “They are particularly indispensable for our most vulnerable populations, those who've been battered by immense hardship and trauma. Through their focus on mental health needs, the centres help people heal, rebuild their lives, and contribute to overall recovery processes.”

Ashley Mulroney, Head of International Assistance at the Embassy of Canada to Ukraine, said that by investing in training for health care professionals, the centres are contributing to the long-term sustainability and resilience of the health care system in Ukraine. “With this funding, Canada is very pleased to be improving the quality of care for patients in distress,” she said. “Supporting public health and recovery centres sends a powerful message of Canada’s solidarity with Ukrainians in need.”

Background

UNDP opened the public health and recovery centres under the United Nations Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme (UN RPP), with financial support from the Government of Canada. Four United Nations agencies are implementing the UN RPP: UNDP, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Eleven international partnerscurrently support the Programme: the European Union (EU), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, and the governments of Canada, Denmark, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and Switzerland.

Media enquiries: Yuliia Samus, UNDP Ukraine Head of Communications; e-mail: yuliia.samus@undp.org