UNICEF donates 40 vehicles for medical workers to Ukraine

UNICEF, with the support of the Government of Spain, has donated 40 primary healthcare vehicles to the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.

The vehicles are designed to provide home-based care for newborns.

Health Minister Viktor Liashko said this at a briefing on the transfer of the cars, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Today's cars, which will go to primary healthcare centres, support the initiative we are implementing together with UNICEF to provide care for newborns, including those living in remote areas," Liashko said.

According to the Minister, it will be not only about nursing visits, but also about the possibility of family doctors reaching remote settlements.

The cars will be delivered to primary healthcare centres in Dnipropetrovska, Kharkiv, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, Lviv, Poltava, Rivne, Chernihiv, Kyiv regions and the city of Kyiv.

"Home visits make quality primary healthcare and services more accessible to children from conception to two years of age, a period that is crucial for the formation of the child's brain and nervous system. Home visits allow for early detection of health problems and risks, such as missed vaccinations and possible developmental disorders. Thanks to early detection, children, their parents and caregivers can get the services and support they need immediately," said Vera Mendonsa, UNICEF Deputy Representative in Ukraine, at the briefing.

The vehicles were purchased by UNICEF with the support of the Government of Spain and the UNICEF National Committees in Spain and the Netherlands.

"Today's event reflects Spain's solidarity with the brave people of Ukraine who must endure the difficult circumstances caused by this terrible war. This important initiative will allow children in the early stages of development living in remote areas, as well as their parents or guardians, to access basic healthcare services through visits from qualified nurses," said Ricardo Lopez-Aranda, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Spain to Ukraine, during the briefing.

As reported, in 2023, UNICEF donated 70 vehicles to 65 primary healthcare centres in eight regions of Ukraine. The "Care from Birth at Home" programme operates in 12 pilot regions of Ukraine: Volyn, Dnipropetrovs'k, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zhytomyr, Zakarpattia, Kirovohrad, Lviv, Poltava, Chernihiv, Kyiv and Kyiv city.