A Webinar “Public Health as a Component of National Security of Ukraine” was Held in TNMU together with Akkon University of Human Sciences

On June 25, 2021, a webinar on “Public health as a component of national security of Ukraine” was held at I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University together with the Akkon University of Human Sciences, Berlin, Germany.

TNMU was represented by scientists of the Departments of Public Health and Health Management, General Hygiene and Ecology, graduate students and students of the Faculty of Medicine majoring in Master of Public Health, as well as graduates of this program. The representatives of Akkon University of Human Sciences, Berlin were, Professor Timo Ulrichs, Gabi Feldman, Project Coordinator and Research Fellow of the IRIA of the of Akkon University of Human Sciences, and students of the University.

Professor Hanna Saturska, the Head of the Department of Public Health and Health Care Management of TNMU, and Professor Timo Ulrichs, the Director of the Institute for Research in International Assistance, Professor of the Akkon University of Human Sciences, Berlin, Germany, were the moderators of the meeting.

Professor Hanna Saturska emphasised the importance of national security as a component of public health, noted the main current trends in health of the population of Ukraine. Hanna Saturska also mentioned about the significant event of the first graduation of public health masters of TNMU and the importance of the results of cooperation between the Department of Public Health and Health Management with German colleagues in organizing the educational and professional program Master’s of Public Health.

Professor Timo Ulrichs, as a WHO expert, explained about the concept of security at the international, national and global levels and emphasized the importance of this issue in the context of the spread of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and public health response, threat elimination and prevention of new infections. Professor Timo Ulrichs shared his experience in pandemic measures, monitoring and surveillance, outbreak control, tracking contacts in the world and in Europe, in particular in Germany.

Professor Timo Ulrichs congratulated the first graduates of the educational and professional program Masters of Public Health at TNMU, noted the importance of their participation in development and improvment of the public health system in Ukraine, and wished them successful cooperation with government agencies at various levels and achievement of global goals of public health.

Gabi Feldmann, presented examples of national security in Germany and other EU countries in the context of rapid response and control of the COVID-19 coronavirus disease (SARS-CoV-2).

During the webinar Halyna Moroz, master’s degree student, who is currently passing an internship at the University of Akkon, presented an interesting report on the results of her research on “Public health as a component of national security of Ukraine”. She presented a detailed analysis of the legal framework of Ukraine on this topic, health indicators of the population of Ukraine and main its determinants. The report provides a thorough analysis of the demographic situation in Ukraine in comparison with developed countries of the European region

Halyna Moroz provided the main factors that shape the threatening situation regarding the health of the people of Ukraine in terms of national security. This is especially true of the increase in overall mortality, decreasing birth rates, which form a negative natural increase and depopulation. The speaker also paid attention to the armed conflict in the Eastern Ukraine and its consequences for the general state of national security of Ukraine.

The graduates of the educational and professional program Master’s of Public Health at TNMU took part in the discussion on “Public health as a component of national security of Ukraine”. Leonid Bytsiura, the master of public health, noted the special value of the report regarding the state of health of the population of Ukraine as a leading component of national security. Leonid Bytsiura emphasised positive tendencies for state agencies regarding implementation of the concept of “Healthy Ukraine”, successful implementation of which at the state level will improve the situation in the public health system of Ukraine as a component of national security.

The topic of the webinar was also interesting for the students of the Akkon University of Human Sciences, Berlin, who also joined the discussion.