(iPoster) Ukraine’s Health System Resilience in a Time of War

• In Event: Poster Session: Democracy and Autocracy II & Health Politics and Health Policy
  In Poster Session: Poster Session: Health Politics and Health Policy

Abstract

Ukraine’s efforts to reform its healthcare system following the Euromaidan Revolution of 2014, transitioning from a Soviet-style model to a modern, efficient, and adaptable system, have faced significant challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 and the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022. The war has had a devastating impact on Ukraine's healthcare system, resulting in damaged infrastructure, service shortages, and limited access to pharmaceuticals. While local, national, and international organizations have worked to mitigate some of these challenges, the ongoing war continues to place immense strain on an already battered system. This paper investigates the resilience of Ukraine’s healthcare system during wartime by analyzing relevant literature and assessing current health initiatives. It seeks to answer the following questions: How does Ukraine balance its aspirations to innovate and implement cutting-edge healthcare technologies while its basic health infrastructure continued to be undermined and destroyed by war? Does increased automation in healthcare alleviate the nation’s health challenges during wartime, or does it create new burdens and security vulnerabilities? Finally, who benefits from biomedical technologies and greater automation, and who is excluded from these advancements?

Author

• Nataliya Dubchak Brantly, Virginia Tech