On 17th April 2008 Minister of Health of Ukraine Vasyl Knyazewich signed the Order (# 210) about creation of the Coordination Council on palliative & hospice care. The main task of the Council is development, coordination and monitoring of further implementation of the State program of development of palliative care in Ukraine in 2010-2014, further improvement of legislation which regulates provision of palliative care to citizens of Ukraine etc.
Co-Heads of the Council: Deputy Minister of Health Zinowy Mytnyk and President of non-govermental organization All-Ukrainian Council for patients rights and safety prof. Iurii Gubsky.
The Co-ordination Council consists of representatives of Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social affairs, hospices, educational facilities, non-governmental non-profitable organizations, religious leaders and international experts.

Thanks to the close cooperation between central and regional authorities and non-profitable organization and support of international organizations, firstly, Open Society Institute, the number of facilities providing hospice care in Ukraine increases. In 2002 in the structure of Ministry of Health there were 12 in-patient units (palliative care wards, hospices etc) with 400 beds. But in 2008 these number was increased to 19 facilities and 600 beds. Mostly, the increasing of numbers began in 2006 when the state policy in the sphere of development of pallaitive care began to be formed. In July 2006 the Task Force on improvement of legislation on palliative care was established as well as All-Ukrainian Association of palliative care.

One of the priorities of the Association in 2008-2009 is development and implementation of the educational programs on palliative care. In this direction accordingly to the agreement between our Association and Hungarian Foundation of hospice care in Budapest there will be organized training of Ukrainian organizers of public health and social work & practising medical, social workers and psychologists. Dates of this event 9-13.June 2008. 8 representatives of Ukraine are selected to participate (from Kyiv, Smila, Mykolaiv, Donetsk and Kherson).

Our young Association unites Ukrainian hospices, hospitals, NGOs and personalities who wish to dedicate their activities to development of palliative care in Ukraine. We need technical assistance directed to education of medical, social and other workers, volunteers in end-of-life care, on palliative care, on ways of pain management and other topics related with palliative care. Also as our organization is non-govermental organization we will be glad to continue dialogue with other non-profitable organizations concerning the topic of involving public society to the process of improvement of public health in Ukraine.

A working visit of Ukrainian delegation to Georgia took place on January 23-29, 2008. Seven representatives of state, public and church organizations visited Tbilisi and Batumі (Republic of Adjara) for discussing the possibility of collaboration in the field of new legislation, concerning access to opioids, future collaboration in the field of palliative care providing and safe public health development. A question concerning pain management is one of the most essential, as it is known that no less than 20-25 % patients which have the incurable diseases suffer from pain. However the Ukrainian legislation, unfortunately, remains bad both for citizens and medical workers.
During meeting in Georgian parliament, in which the First Lady of Georgia Sandra Rulofs, numerous deputies and representatives of Georgia government took part, it was agreed about the collaboration and mutual assistance in this sphere.

The Round table «Development of palliative care in Ukraine: availability of pain management and оpioids turnover» took place with the support of Ministry of Health on February 15, 2008. The participants were: Minister of health protection V. Knyazevich, first Minister’s deputy M. Prodanchuk, representatives of Ministry of Labour and social policy, Ministry of internal affairs, public and religious associations representatives. As a result of round table it was decided to acknowledge importance and actuality of the Interdisciplinary Task Force (working group) on the improvement of legislation on medical and social care, created in accordance to Order of MoH #201 issued on 06.07.2006. The Interdisciplinary Task Force has 3 Co-Heads which present MoH, Міnistry of Labour and All-Ukrainian Council for patients rights and safety.

It was decided it is necessary to extend composition of the Task Force and to invite representatives of other ministries and stakeholders and continue the advocacy, informational, raise awareness compain on palliative care.

The Minister V. Knyasevych marked priority of palliative care development in Ukraine. So there is “political  will” for development of palliative care in our country.

Mr. Alexander Wolf
Director  of the Palliative care Development Program
All-Ukrainian Council for patients rights and safe
Tel: + 38 044 234 84 02
e-mails: and