France and Ukraine partner to strengthen drug policy and improve access to health services
On Friday 23 May, the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the French public agency Expertise France are launching a new three-year initiative in Kyiv to support a more effective, coordinated and inclusive national response to substance use disorders. With a budget of €1.41 million, the project is funded by L’Initiative – the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs’ instrument for pandemic response, complementing the country-level work of the Global Fund.
This project marks a milestone in bilateral cooperation between France and Ukraine: for the first time, direct support is being provided to a Ukrainian public institution – namely, the Public Health Center (UPHC) – in the field of drug addiction.
“This project marks a major step forward for our health system,” said Olha Gvozdetzka, Deputy Director of the Public Health Center. “It strengthens our ability to prevent and treat substance use disorders in line with European standards, while putting affected individuals at the center of the response.”
Led by the Public Health Center under the Ministry of Health, the project aims to establish a national response that is rights-based, evidence-informed, and aligned with international best practices. It is structured around four key operational objectives:
- Strengthen national coordination and governance on drug policy by supporting UPHC’s organizational development, establishing dialogue mechanisms with international partners, and aligning with EU directives.
- Improve the quality of prevention, diagnosis and treatment services for substance use disorders, through health workforce training, dissemination of evidence-based care standards, and development of innovative care models.
- Establish a national data management and early warning system to monitor trends in psychoactive substance use, anticipate health crises and inform public policy.
- Build technical capacity in health facilities to provide more effective support to people who use drugs, with a focus on gender-responsive approaches and the inclusion of affected communities in decision-making processes.
A structural project amid a public health emergency
Psychoactive substance use in Ukraine is rising sharply, driven by prolonged war, social destabilization and a strained health system. In 2023, over 500,000 people received care for substance use disorders. Yet, access to care remains limited and fragmented, especially for stimulant users and populations facing stigma, such as women and military personnel. Ukraine also remains one of the most affected countries by the HIV and viral Hepatitis epidemics in Eastern Europe.
This project addresses an urgent need: to build a coordinated and effective national response to substance use that incorporates public health, HIV and viral Hepatitis prevention, harm reduction and human rights protection. Ukraine lacks a fully functional national drug policy and a regulatory framework aligned with European standards. Access to treatment, harm reduction and psychosocial support remains uneven and insufficient.
A new step in France’s sustained commitment
Since the onset of the war in 2022, France – through L’Initiative – has mobilized over €9 million to support the health response in Ukraine. These funds have helped maintain access to HIV and tuberculosis treatment for key populations, support healthcare workers, and strengthen community networks engaged in prevention and harm reduction.
“France’s support, through Expertise France, reflects a clear commitment: making health a cornerstone of cooperation with Ukraine,” said Éric Fleutelot, Technical Director of the Health Department – Expertise France. “This project builds on L’Initiative’s engagement, consolidating a strategic partnership focused on rights and access to health for all.”
Direct support to the Public Health Center is a natural continuation of these efforts. It reflects France’s long-term commitment to strengthening health systems - this time through direct cooperation with a national public institution, in a spirit of sovereignty, sustainability and alignment with national priorities.
This shift in scale signals a new phase in the health partnership between France and Ukraine, grounded in technical dialogue, mutual trust and the co-creation of sustainable responses to pressing public health challenges.
About the Public Health Center of Ukraine
The Public Health Center of Ukraine (PHC) serves as the lead agency of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine for public health and response to infectious and noncommunicable diseases, biosecurity and biosafety, immunoprophylaxis, laboratory diagnostics of infectious diseases, and the hygienic and microbiological aspects of human health related to the environment. PHC also acts as the national coordinator for the implementation of the International Health Regulations and coordinates emergency response in the public health sector.
The PHC also acts to improve access to prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and rehabilitation services for people who use drugs, in line with evidence-based and human rights–oriented approaches.
PHC cooperates with Ukrainian regional centers for disease control and prevention, healthcare institutions, civil society organizations, and international partners to build a resilient and people-centered public health system aligned with European standards.
More information: phc.org.ua
About L’Initiative / Expertise France
Launched at the end of 2011, L’Initiative is a French facility that complements the Global Fund against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. It provides technical assistance and support to catalytic projects in 40 Global Fund recipient countries to improve grant effectiveness of and strengthen health impact.. As such, it contributes to ensuring the effectiveness of the pandemic response.
L’Initiative’ has demonstrated its catalytic role by building the capacity of health stakeholders, including civil society and research organizations, improving institutional, political and social frameworks, supporting innovative approaches and strengthening systems for health.
L’Initiative is implemented by Expertise France, the international technical cooperation agency (French Agency for Development Group), and is fully funded by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, which is its supervising body.
More information: linitiative.expertisefrance.fr/en/
PRESS CONTACTS
Public Health Center of Ukraine
41 Yaroslavska Street, Kyiv, 04071, Ukraine
info@phc.org.ua / +380 44 334 56 89
L’Initiative / Expertise France
Éric Fleutelot – Technical Director
