ECDC signs Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine

This agreement builds on ECDC’s previous support for Ukraine, including a recent review of the country’s communicable disease surveillance system aimed at aligning it with EU standards. Signed by ECDC Director, Dr Pamela Rendi-Wagner and Minister of Health of Ukraine, Dr Viktor Liashko, the MoU underscores the shared commitment to strengthen collaboration on communicable disease prevention and control.

 It provides an institutional framework for technical cooperation between Ukraine’s national public health authorities and ECDC. This includes Ukraine's participation as observers in ECDC networks and activities.

“This signing builds on a long legacy of collaboration between ECDC and Ukraine and opens the door to working together even more closely on our shared health security. Our Ukrainian colleagues continue to do excellent public health work under challenging circumstances, and we can each learn from each other, particularly on the resilience of public health systems. ECDC looks forward to building a healthier, more prepared continent together,” says Pamela Rendi-Wagner, Director of ECDC.

As of 2025, ECDC and the Ministry of Health of Ukraine have embarked on technical discussions to enhance capacities of Ukraine, a new EU candidate country, to implement the EU acquis on serious cross-border health threats. Cooperation will focus on key areas, including epidemic intelligence, threat detection, preparedness and response, and public health training. Ukraine is also a beneficiary of the EU Initiative on Health Security and the Support for Health Resilience in the Eastern Partnership. 

ECDC looks forward to deepening the collaboration with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine to build public health capacities and strengthen health security across the EU/EEA and Ukraine.