Rehabilitation Care Reform: Ukraine Charts Next Steps

Fifth Ukrainian Rehabilitation Forum in Health Care

According to Міністерство Здоров'я: Kyiv hosted the fifth Ukrainian forum on rehabilitation in the health care sector, where policymakers, practitioners, and experts examined how to move rehabilitation services forward. The event reflects the growing importance Ukraine attaches to rehabilitation as the health system deals with conflict-related needs. Participants came from government bodies, local administrations, international organizations, professional associations, medical institutions, universities, and expert groups.

The main topics included:

• development of prosthetics and orthotics,
• staffing,
• rehabilitation care in the acute phase,
• quality monitoring and financing under the Medical Guarantees Program.

Key Rehabilitation Issues on the Table

During the forum, participants took a close look at professional training and education in prosthetics and orthotics, as well as staffing across the rehabilitation system. They also reviewed quality-monitoring results and whether health facilities meet the requirements of the Medical Guarantees Program, especially in acute inpatient care.

Financing was another major focus, including ways to improve funding rules, payment mechanisms, and long-term sustainability. Participants stressed the need to train specialists, upgrade educational curricula, and build the profession's overall capacity. Important aspects included:

• specialist training,
• improving educational programs,
• strengthening the profession's capacity.

The event was organized with support from the "Rehabilitation in Ukraine" (Rehab4U) project, implemented by Momentum Wheels for Humanity. The forum also heard about the Ministry of Health of Ukraine's flagship initiative, "Development of the Rehabilitation Care System," which is carried out under the National Strategy for Creating a Barrier-Free Space in Ukraine. The initiative's core message is that a barrier-free environment means people can go through rehabilitation without obstacles, aligning with the national social-change campaign "Barrier-free means you can."

The Fifth Ukrainian Rehabilitation Forum provided a major platform for exchanging experience and shaping strategies in rehabilitation care. Broad participation from different sectors shows that this issue is gaining attention and that stronger coordination is needed to improve the quality of services. Further reforms are especially critical for people affected by the conflict and for others who need urgent medical care.