On April 4, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Mariana Betsa took part in a joint briefing by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the World Health Organization (WHO), with the participation of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, on WHO’s activities in Ukraine amid Russian aggression.
During the briefing, which symbolically took place on the eve of World Health Day, Mariana Betsa informed ambassadors and heads of international organizations in Ukraine about the impact of Russian armed aggression on the lives of millions of our citizens and about the joint efforts to support the healthcare sector in Ukraine.
Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, WHO has recorded more than 2325 attacks on Ukrainian medical facilities, including the targeted missile attack on the Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital in July 2024.
"According to WHO, as a result of the barbaric attacks of the Russian Federation, 209 people were killed and at least 725 people - Ukrainian doctors and patients - were wounded. Such actions of the aggressor state are yet another gross violation of international humanitarian law and lead to critical disruptions in the provision of medical services, supply of medicines and the functioning of the emergency medical system", - Mariana Betsa stressed.
The Deputy Minister thanked WHO for its continued support in ensuring the resilience of Ukraine's healthcare system during the war, including coordination of medical care, evacuation of patients, deployment of mobile medical teams, supply of vital medicines and equipment as well as for providing psychological assistance to the affected population.
Mariana Betsa especially highlighted WHO's efforts to rebuild and modernize Ukrainian healthcare system, to bring it in line with the best international standards of inclusion and barrier-free accessibility, and ensure proper conditions for the rehabilitation of our heroes - Ukrainian veterans.
Head of WHO Country Office in Ukraine Jarno Habicht and Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine Edem Adamanov also delivered statements at the briefing.