Tackling noncommunicable diseases in Ukraine (2018)

The main public health challenge in Ukraine is reducing noncommunicable diseases (NCDs): heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory disease. NCDs are estimated to account for 86% of the country’s annual deaths. In recent years, as Ukraine copes with an ongoing humanitarian crisis, the human and financial resources and infrastructure to address NCDs have been under particular strain.

In 2015, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the WHO country office launched the first phase of a project on NCD prevention and health promotion (2015–2019) in seven pilot regions chosen in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. The project aims to improve the well-being of the population and reduce NCD-related mortality and morbidity, with a special focus on cardiovascular disease (CVD).