At a working meeting with IREX — the International Research & Exchanges Board, a US-based organisation active in education and health system development across Ukraine — the Ministry of Health outlined the two areas it considers central to its agenda for the coming years.
The first is physical rehabilitation, framed explicitly as part of veteran reintegration. Ukraine’s rehabilitation system is undergoing a transition from post-Soviet models toward evidence-based practice, with multidisciplinary team approaches and international standards replacing approaches that lacked clinical grounding.
The scale of need — driven by the volume of returning veterans with combat injuries — makes this among the most acute gaps in current service provision.
The second is mental health. Currently Programme of Medical Guarantees covers mental health services regardless of military or civilian status. The ministry’s engagement on mental health with implementing partners has deepened considerably; it has previously issued a letter of support for programmes contributing to mental health workforce development in Ukraine, and recognised partner contributions through a formal award.
Both priorities reflect a broader shift in the Ukrainian health sector: from acute emergency response toward sustained programs supporting veteran re-integration and social cohesion.