Ukraine is facing extraordinary challenges to its health system amidst the Russian invasion, including attacks on Ukrainian medical facilities and infrastructure. To restore and maintain critical health services to Ukraine’s dispersed population, the Ministry of Health is strengthening its capacity to offer medical consultations via telemedicine. This two-page Progress Update describes LHSS technical assistance for the effort and results as of January 2023.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused many doctors to leave the country, compromised patients’ safety when seeking care, and displaced large portions of the population away from their primary health care providers. A strong national telemedicine system will be key to assuring access to health services for Ukrainians, now and in the future. Experiences from other conflict/disaster areas may provide insights, helping Ukraine assess and implement its own telemedicine response.

Ukraine prioritizes telemedicine as part of its comprehensive health reform to increase transparency of health service provision, expand access to quality health services, and enhance efficiency in the health sector.

The purpose of the assessment, conducted in 2021 by Two Oceans in Health for the LHSS Latin America and Caribbean Activity, was to understand the Dominican Republic context for expanding social health protection to migrant women.

The Social Protection Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Mechanism in Cambodia contributes to reducing poverty, vulnerability, and inequality by promoting and enhancing the effectiveness of the implementation of the National Social Protection Policy Framework (NSPPF). 

Achieving universal health coverage (UHC) is a global priority and a keystone element of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. However, COVID-19 is causing serious impacts on tax revenue and many countries are facing constraints to new investment in health. To advance UHC progress, countries can also focus on improving health system technical efficiency to maximize the service outputs given the current health financing levels.

LHSS provides technical assistance to the Dominican Republic, and this five-year roadmap outlines a strategic vision, objectives, and initiatives for reaching the final milestone of expanded insurance and standardized health service packages for migrant women residing in or transiting through the Dominican Republic.

LHSS activity in the Dominican Republic during its first year of implementation and detailed steps to pilot initiatives that aim to improve SHP for migrants (including women) in the Dominican Republic

This video highlights the first training session for the standardization of HIV community services held in Santo Domingo, September 2021 by LHSS in partnership with the National Health Service.

For countries facing a large influx of migrants, the best way to ensure that these new members of society have sustained access to essential health services is to have a long-term strategy – one that builds on existing health platforms.

In the Dominican Republic, the dual impact of large numbers of migrants and a health system overwhelmed by COVID-19 has meant that fewer health services are available for migrant women. LHSS is working to improve health protection for the country’s migrant women, most of whom come from Haiti.

Population movement of this magnitude places huge stress on health systems in receptor countries. How can health care for migrants be financed? How can health system capacity be expanded? And how can health sector policies and national migration policies be harmonized? 

Promising locally-led initiatives, lessons learned, financing alternatives, and opportunities to improve SHP for vulnerable women in the Dominican Republic.