KYIV, Ukraine – To sustain the provision of essential sexual and reproductive health services and supplies to women and girls in Ukraine, the Government of Japan is providing US$ 1.2 million to support 24 hospitals with comprehensive and quality medical supplies throughout Ukraine to assist women and girls who urgently need them.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, has provided 104 metric tonnes of Interagency Reproductive Health Kits (IARH), supplies, and medicines to national Ukrainian healthcare partners. The provision of quality sexual and reproductive health commodities remains crucial to ensure the continuity and availability of lifesaving services throughout Ukraine, which is experiencing escalating attacks across the country and one of the largest displacements of people.
The war has impacted the Ukrainian medical supply chain system, resulting in regular stock-outs of essential commodities and basic equipment required for the provision of emergency obstetric and newborn care. Limited power and oxygen supplies, and military attacks on healthcare facilities, including maternity hospitals, further limit access to these life-saving services.
With the support of the Government of Japan, UNFPA will help improve and ensure sexual reproductive health commodity security. This will strengthen the resilience of the Ukrainian healthcare system in support of the humanitarian-development nexus.
Throughout this one-year project, women and girls will have uninterrupted access to lifesaving sexual and reproductive health services, and Ukrainian national healthcare capacities will be strengthened to respond effectively to the humanitarian emergency. 24 maternity hospitals and perinatal centres from different regions of Ukraine will benefit from essential medicines and supplies.
A predictable, reliable and cost-effective supply plan will be implemented that will include the schedule of supply deliveries in order to avoid overstocking or stock-outs during the year.
With the strategic support of Japan, UNFPA will ensure that women and girls have continuous access to quality lifesaving services, including sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence prevention and response services. Japan is a long-standing humanitarian partner of UNFPA, committed to supporting the immediate needs of women and girls and the most vulnerable, ensuring no one is left behind.
In 2023, UNFPA Ukraine seeks $70.125 million in funding for its humanitarian response in Ukraine, to provide life-saving services to women and girls and other vulnerable people in need.