Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Adopted the Law “On the Public Health System”

On September 6, 2022, the Law “On the Public Health System” was voted in the second reading and as a whole by people’s deputies (https://itd.rada.gov.ua/billInfo/Bills/CardByRn?regNum=4142&conv=9 )

The law was developed in order to regulate the mechanisms of creating an effective public health system in Ukraine, which will contribute to strengthening the health of the population, preventing diseases and increasing life expectancy.

In particular, the concept of “public health” is introduced at the legislative level – as a field of knowledge and organized activity of subjects in the public health system to improve health, prevent diseases and increase life expectancy; the subjects of legal relations in the public health system are determined.

The law also defines and delimits the powers of the Cabinet of Ministers, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, other central executive bodies, local executive bodies and local self-government bodies in the public health system; provides for the establishment of the Coordinating Council on Public Health as a permanent consultative and advisory body of the Ministry of Health on public health issues. In addition, it defines the concept of a competent body in the field of public health; operational functions of public health, that is, the main areas of activity that are carried out in the state to ensure the highest possible indicators of health and well-being of the population, as well as the most complete observance of the principle of justice in relation to health.

The document defines the basic principles of implementing the operational function of epidemiological surveillance, including the creation of a public health information fund as a state information resource containing data on the state of health, well-being of the population and indicators of the living environment. The law also defines the basic principles of the implementation of the operational function of monitoring, preparedness and response to dangerous factors and emergency situations in the field of public health, including provisions on the implementation of International Medical and Sanitary Regulations and the timeliness of response in order to localize and eliminate such threats; lays down the basic principles of personnel, scientific and financial support of the public health system.

The law will allow for the creation of a public health system and will contribute to strengthening the health of the population, preventing diseases and increasing life expectancy; effective use of funds provided in the state budget for the performance of epidemiological surveillance, monitoring, preparedness and response to dangerous factors and emergency situations in the field of public health. And it will also contribute to the effective implementation of the powers of central executive bodies and other subjects in solving issues in the field of public health; support and development of an integrated approach to solving public health problems, including through the involvement of non-state sector entities in the implementation of operational functions in the field of public health; preservation of the function of ensuring biological safety and biological protection of the state in the part related to human health, responding to chemical and toxicological threats by creating a national network of institutions for control and prevention, etc.