In Ukraine’s frontline regions, 24 hospitals have received water heaters, water storage tanks, and equipment for the safe handling of hazardous medical waste, thanks to the WHO Country Office in Ukraine, with financial support from the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) and the Japanese government.
These facilities, which collectively serve approximately 500 000 patients each year, continue to face persistent challenges in ensuring uninterrupted and safe medical care amid the ongoing war and frequent disruptions to electricity and water supply.
The equipment is designed to strengthen resilience by ensuring compliance with hygiene and sanitation standards, supporting infection prevention and control, and enabling continued operation of health facilities even during prolonged utility outages.
Hospitals that cannot stop
This winter, Ukraine’s energy crisis, caused by attacks on critical infrastructure, has put a serious strain on the uninterrupted functioning of health facilities. As a result, this delivery has been crucial for many hospitals.
“There was a period when the hospital operated for more than 2 days without electricity and a centralized water supply. Even with our status as a critical infrastructure facility, we are not protected from outages. That is why water reservoirs and water heaters are critical for us,” says Nataliia Vizer, Medical Director of a hospital in Zhovti Vody, Dnipro region.
Every day, the hospital serves around 150 inpatients and nearly 800 outpatients, with medical care provided by 395 staff members, including doctors, nurses, and junior and administrative personnel.
In such conditions, water is not a matter of comfort. It is the very foundation of safe, life-saving quality care.
Critical for maternity wards
A reliable water supply is particularly vital for the maternity ward, where more than 250 births take place each year. Uninterrupted access to hot water is essential to maintain hygiene and safety standards for mothers and newborns, especially in wartime conditions.
“Thanks to water reserves and water heaters, we are able to maintain infection control, ensure the operation of the children’s kitchen and keep facilities clean, even during prolonged blackouts,” notes Tetiana, Head Nurse in the paediatric department at the hospital in Zhovti Vody.
The equipment received also significantly improves the hospital’s preparedness for emergency situations.
“It allows us to maintain continuity of critical processes and ensure the safe operation of the hospital when utility systems fail,” adds Serhii Lobodenko, Deputy Head of the hospital.
A matter of life and death
In Ukraine’s frontline regions, access to water, hygiene and safe waste management is not merely about meeting standards, it is a matter of life and death.
That is why, with the financial support of ASEF and the Japanese government, the WHO Country Office in Ukraine continues to provide hospitals with the supplies, equipment and training necessary to ensure access to essential health services.
“This support reflects our commitment to strengthening the resilience of essential public services in times of crisis. Safe access to water, sanitation and hygiene is fundamental to health security and the uninterrupted functioning of hospitals, especially in frontline regions. We are pleased to support the WHO Country Office in Ukraine in ensuring that health facilities can continue to operate safely and protect both patients and health-care workers under extremely challenging conditions,” said ASEF Executive Director, Ambassador Beata Stoczyńska.