PHS R&R - Public Health System Recovery and Resilience Activity
Project Abstract
The overall goal of the Public Health System Recovery and Resilience (PHS R&R) Activity is to strengthen the Government of Ukraine's capacity to prevent, detect and respond to public health threats; maintain critical public health services during a crisis; expand mental health support to veterans and war-affected populations; and protect the health of all Ukrainians, including vulnerable and marginalised populations. To achieve this goal, PHS R&R is working towards the following four key objectives:
1. Mitigate COVID-19 outbreaks and secondary impacts on essential health services.
2. Increase the resilience and capacity of public health services at regional level and below.
3. Strengthen community resilience against potential public health threats.
4. Increase the access and sustainability of mental health services for conflict-affected populations.
Ukraine is involved in a longer term process to strengthen its public health capacity. However, the ongoing war in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic has strained the country's health system and exacerbated existing weaknesses, while exposing new and urgent public health challenges, such as increased risk of disease outbreaks, unmet health needs of displaced populations, and the increasing impact of war on mental health.
Taking a systems approach to improving public health systems in times of war, PHS R&R strengthens public health institutions, expands health partnerships and improves access to services, with a focus on 8 regions of the country . In addition, PHS R&R aligns this approach with the GoU's short, medium and long term health sector recovery and transformation plans and priorities to strengthen core public health capacities for emergency preparedness and response and to reduce the burden of disease among war-affected populations.
The Activity is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Pact, as the leading institution, in partnership with Swiss TPH, Overseas Strategic Consulting, Ltd. (OSC) and the European Institute of Public Health Policy (EIPHP), with the participation of a group led by Temple University School of Public Health, including Drexel University School of Public Health and the Health Federation of Philadelphia (Temple/Drexel/HFP), and the Ukrainian Coalition for Vaccination.
Swiss TPH has a team of 8 persons currently based in Ukraine and contributes technical expertise in public health security, including disease prevention, infectious disease surveillance, and laboratory strengthening, as well as emergency preparedness and response. This includes technical assistance and capacity building to achieve the above-mentioned objectives.
