Today the CF “Patients of Ukraine” is 13 years old 💙💛
Thousands of meetings, calls, negotiations, actions, brainstorms, big and small steps — 13 years of fighting for accessible treatment for millions of Ukrainians. Our strength lies in our people. We sincerely appreciate everyone who joins us in driving change within the Ukrainian healthcare system.
Let’s reminisce together about how it all began? 13 achievements of our team in 13 years👇🏻
📍 2011-2013 — We achieved nearly a doubling of state funding for purchasing antiretroviral therapy for HIV patients and the adoption of the State Hepatitis Prevention Program.
📍 2014 — We initiated the creation of the Strategic Advisory Group, which developed the National Strategy for Reforming the Healthcare System in Ukraine for 2015-2020. This strategy formed the basis for ongoing healthcare reform in our country.
📍 2015-2016 — We initiated procurement reform, transferring the procurement of medicines from the state budget to international organizations, combating corruption, increasing transparency, and efficiency in resource use, thereby expanding patient access to medicines.
📍 2017 — We advocated for the Law «On State Financial Guarantees of Medical Services for the Population», fundamentally changing and continuing to improve patient access to medical care. We also launched a system for simplified registration of medicines from the EU, USA, Canada, Japan, etc.
📍 2018-2019 — We contributed to the creation of the State Enterprise «Medical Procurement of Ukraine» and participated in the transfer of medication procurement to enhance transparency and efficient resource use, facilitated by international organizations.
📍 2020 — We achieved the abolition of «evergreen» medication patents, granting patients access to high-quality and significantly cheaper generic drugs.
📍 2021 — The fund raised over 23 million hryvnias, aiding more than 8,000 doctors across 241 medical institutions in Ukraine in the fight against COVID-19. Our efforts earned us a place in the TOP-10 philanthropists combating coronavirus in Ukraine, according to the U-Control rating.
📍 2022 — A humanitarian aid mission deployed by the fund has procured and delivered medicines, medical supplies, and equipment worth over 185 million hryvnias to medical institutions across Ukraine since the start of full-scale war as of the end of May 2024.
📍 2023 — We successfully legalized medical cannabis in Ukraine.
📍 Present day — 46 damaged dispensaries in liberated territories have been restored.
📍 We are developing a system for physical rehabilitation in Ukraine.
📍 We continue to support healthcare reform, advocating for institutional integration into a unified medical space, medical self-governance, and increased state funding for medicine in Ukraine.
📍 We continue to defend patient rights and foster patient communities. Public organizations within «Patients of Ukraine» actively participate in working groups influencing decision-making at the Ministry of Health. In 2023 alone, community representatives joined three working groups on specialized procurement support and the Ministry of Health’s efforts on orphan diseases.
None of this would have been possible without the Defenders of Ukraine, who have fought alongside us for a decade to ensure accessible treatment in a free and independent Ukraine. While our colleague Ostap Brynskyi died fighting for freedom, his bravery inspires us daily, and we are committed to ensuring that he would be proud of the work of Patients of Ukraine.
Glory to Ukraine! Together towards Victory and a patient-centered healthcare system! 🇺🇦
