100% Life Partnership Enables Coordinated Services to Ukrainians Near Frontline

(PORTLAND, OR) April 29, 2024 – Medical Teams International is grateful to announce that it has been awarded USD $2.2 million from UHF, administered by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), to continue alleviating suffering and saving lives in conflict-affected areas of Ukraine. The one-year grant begins on May 1 and will enable Medical Teams to provide primary health care and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) in Khersonksa, Mykolaivska, Zaporizhzhia and southern Dnipropetrovska oblasts for 42,293 people and indirectly for 48,000 people.

The situation in Ukraine after two years of war with Russia continues to be challenging, and humanitarian needs are growing. The war displaced millions of Ukrainians, with many fleeing to other European nations and beyond. The impact of this migration is still felt worldwide, with an estimated 3.4 million internally displaced people in Ukraine, according to the OCHA. Also, roughly 6 million live as refugees in neighboring countries and globally, and about 40% of Ukraine’s population (14.6 million people) need urgent humanitarian assistance. Since the immediate aftermath of the invasion, Medical Teams has provided life-saving medical care and mental health support to refugees, displaced people, host communities, and first responders.

Medical Teams’ primary partner in Ukraine is 100% Life and, together, they currently provide integrated health and protection services via mobile medical units (MMUs), MHPSS, and community engagement. This work is performed predominantly in areas close to the frontline in Khersonska and Mykolaivska oblasts, and with vulnerable populations impacted by conflict in south Dnipropetrovska oblast. Medical Teams also provides technical, financial, and in-kind donations to partners to enable their continued response.

Medical Teams and 100% Life serve people in areas within 30 kilometers of the frontline in Khersonska oblast via MMUs. For this project, 100% Life will expand their reach in the areas close to the frontline by providing access to quality, life-saving health care to severely conflict-affected communities, MHPSS services, and comprehensive protection and care for people with disabilities. They will also provide medical/assistive devices for people with disabilities or chronic illness, and training for local social workers, caregivers, activists, and volunteers.

Services on the MMU will include MHPSS, treatment of non-communicable diseases, sexual reproductive health education, and referrals to specialized services. Other health care services will be provided based on needs identified through collaboration with the national health system and community feedback. The MMU will also include a psychologist for MHPSS and protection awareness. Community health volunteers will be trained and supported to provide risk communication, first aid, lay psychosocial support, awareness raising in health and protection topics, and referrals to specialized healthcare and protection services.

Medical Teams’ primary aim is to address gaps in the local health system due to the ongoing conflict and to strengthen the system’s capacity. Therefore, field teams are Ukrainian, and capacity building of staff is integrated throughout the work plan. MHPSS teams will also provide training for health care workers, local civil society organizations, local volunteers, and social welfare departments who provide general protection, gender-based violence prevention, and child protection interventions.

About Medical Teams International

Founded in 1979, Medical Teams International provides life-saving medical care for people in crisis, such as survivors of natural disasters and refugees. We care for the whole person— physical, emotional, social, and spiritual. Daring to love like Jesus, we serve all people—regardless of religion, nationality, sex, or race. Learn more at medicalteams.org and on social media using @medicalteams.

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