KYIV, 23 December 2022 – As the war in Ukraine reaches its tenth month, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with financial support of the European Union, continues working in partnership with the Government of Ukraine to procure and deliver urgently needed medical supplies and equipment. In the most recent shipment, the UN organization procured and provided 390 Negative Pressure Wound Therapies (NPWTs) – active wound closure systems that shorten the healing time in chronic wounds such as soft tissue traumas, burns, open abdomen wounds and post-surgical interventions.

Frederik Coene, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Ukraine, said the medical equipment, valued at almost EUR 900,000, was procured from a EUR 2 million budget that was reallocated from the much larger EU4Dialogue programme, whose purpose is to foster dialogue between communities across the region. 

“The EU4Dialogue programme was adjusted following the Russian invasion of Ukraine to directly support Ukraine´s Government, the Ministry of Health and the healthcare system at large,” said Coene. “Our intent is to help them respond adequately to the needs of Ukrainians requiring treatment for wounds and other trauma injuries. The remaining funds will reinforce Ukrainian civil society initiatives, targeting and delivering humanitarian and early recovery assistance to remote areas of the country.”

Interim UNDP Resident Representative Jaco Cilliers said that as part of the coordinated UN response his organization has been building on its long-standing relationship with the Ministry of Health to ensure supplies are in place to meet the emergency medical demands of the country. “Together with our partners from the European Union we are working to ensure all sectors of Ukraine’s Government are able to respond effectively to the urgent and growing needs of its population,” he said. 

Based on almost three decades of trusted partnership with the Government of Ukraine, UNDP is now leveraging its extensive network and working with ministries, municipalities, civil society organizations, and business associations across the country to scale up support to the people of Ukraine. “We’re focusing on immediate crisis response, maintaining core government functions and laying the groundwork for early recovery,” said Cilliers. “Procuring and delivering urgently needed medical supplies and equipment is but one important piece of a very large and complex package of support we are providing with the European Union and other partners.”

Media contact: Yuliia Samus, Communications Team Leader, UNDP in Ukraine, Yuliia.Samus@undp.org