Sub-regional Meeting on Mid- to Long-term Solutions related to Ukraine Refugee Response

Event highlight

21 June 2024

On 11–12 June, WHO/Europe and the Ministry of Health of Czechia co-hosted a meeting in Prague that brought together national experts and government representatives from countries hosting Ukrainian refugees. Together they looked at mid- to long-term priorities for addressing the refugees’ health needs. This event followed up on a first meeting held in Bratislava, Slovakia, in April 2023.

More than 2 years since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the situation has evolved from an acute emergency to a protracted crisis for almost 6 million Ukrainians who have sought refuge outside of their country. Meeting participants highlighted that, like the COVID-19 pandemic, the refugee crisis has revealed further weak spots in national health systems. They pointed out that, though this leads to challenges, it also presents opportunities to strengthen systems.

Recognizing that the current needs of refugees and host communities are likely to continue over the coming years, the meeting highlighted that now is the time to increase the sustainability of the collective response and build resilience. 

Participants expressed hope that these interventions will strengthen national systems and provide a basis for planning and preparing for future emergencies. They identified three factors for future success:

• a recognition of collective responsibility
• a continued coordinated response
• a focus on system-wide and transformative interventions.

Mr Jakub Dvoracek, Deputy Minister of Health of Czechia, stated, “The crisis has created a unique opportunity to improve the resilience of our health system and adjust it to the increasing needs. We are particularly grateful for WHO and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) support, which has enabled us to address challenges such as access to primary health care and the provision of essential health services.”

He added, “We hope that the lessons learned and preparedness which we are discussing during this meeting will ensure that the national health systems in our subregion will be well equipped to cope with future emergencies.”

Dr Zsofia Pusztai, WHO Representative and Head of the Country Office in Czechia, expressed her gratitude to the country for hosting the subregional meeting. She explained, “We have been working closely with our national counterparts and the international community in Czechia since the onset of the Ukraine crisis. This 2-day event is a wonderful opportunity not only to exchange ideas and best practices, but also to allow for the identification of concrete, pragmatic, innovative and sustainable solutions towards building a more resilient health system in countries hosting refugees.”

While the focus of the previous meeting was on sharing best practices and experience among countries, this year’s discussion focused on 4 key technical themes, informed by an impact assessment led by WHO:

• health financing
• health information
• service delivery 
• the health workforce.

Dr Nino Berdzuli, WHO Special Envoy to Refugee Receiving Countries, expanded on the scale of the challenge for national health systems: “We applaud the unprecedented support for Ukrainians shown by the refugee receiving countries, particularly regarding their integration into the health- and social-care systems. However, responding to the biggest humanitarian crisis in 8 decades has highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of their national health systems.”

She added, “Health systems resilience and preparedness to respond to fast-moving emergencies are of paramount importance, and primary health care is at the core of this response, designed to be responsive to the mobility of displaced persons. Another critical area is strong health information systems that integrate refugees and support analysis of their needs and access to services, which is key to ensure evidence-based decision-making. This has been clearly demonstrated by our recent research on the impact of large-scale displacement of Ukrainian refugees on the health systems of refugee receiving countries.”

Participants discussed pathways to more resilient health financing, improved health information systems for evidence-based decision-making, strengthened workforce capacity, and enhanced service delivery for host and refugee communities. Some of the points identified included:

• more cross-border working to achieving coherent data management systems; 
• better community engagement for refugee and host populations to develop appropriate services;
• harmonized working with an emphasis on exchange and learning to adapt to protracted emergencies; and
• additional private sector engagement for health financing, particularly where refugee employees are paying into health insurance programmes.

Dr Catherine Smallwood, WHO/Europe’s Programme Manager for Emergency Operations, emphasized the importance of the meeting to the overall Ukraine response: “This meeting is a critical part of our collective support to the health and well-being of those impacted by the war in Ukraine. This stretches all the way from communities around the frontlines of Ukraine to those seeking safety in surrounding countries.”

Dr Isabel de la Mata, Principal Advisor for Health and Crisis Management at the European Commission, underlined how the meeting will contribute to the European Union’s work to integrate Ukrainian refugees into the health systems of refugee receiving countries: “The European Union is beginning to assess the resilience of the national health systems in refugee hosting countries to cope with this extraordinary influx of people. We are collaborating with WHO and the International Organization for Migration to support the national health systems in 10 countries.”

She added, “We are also working on mental health and psychosocial support of the displaced people from Ukraine with the International Federation of the Red Cross. Our actions aim to support seamless integration into the regular health system for the refugee population, and to improve their health status.”

Event notice

11 June 2024

The Sub-regional Meeting on Mid- to Long-term Solutions related to Ukraine Refugee Response will be held in Prague, Czech Republic on 11–12 June. The meeting is organized by WHO/Europe in agreement with the Ministry of Health of Czechia and will bring together experts from refugee-hosting countries to discuss suggestions and solutions to common overarching problems identified during the current refugee response.

The overarching goal of the meeting is to define longer-term priorities for refugee-receiving countries by identifying major policy options and operational directions and addressing thematic areas. Topics to be discussed during the meeting include:

• resilient health financing systems
• strengthening health workforce capacity
• improved health information systems for evidence-based decision-making
• enhanced service delivery for the host and refugee community.

The technical meeting will follow up on the recommendations of the 2023 Bratislava sub-regional high-level consultation on lessons learned and best practice sharing between refugee-hosting countries in the context of the Ukraine war.

• Foster stronger sub-regional collaboration and jointly identify and implement innovative solutions to address the complex health-care needs of refugee populations and health system challenges to be able to meet both host and refugee population health needs while promoting equity, dignity and resilience.
• Facilitate the sharing of insights and best practices in refugee health responses.
• Support refugee-hosting countries in long-term sustainable and strategic planning and cooperation.