Maternity and childhood care in Ukraine: status, challenges and prospects
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15574/PP.2025.4(104).7381Keywords:
motherhood, childhood, regulatory documents, demographic indicators, reproductive health, rehabilitation, International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF)Abstract
Aim - to analyze of current data on the status, challenges and prospects of maternity and childhood care in Ukraine, in particular analysis of the regulatory framework.
Domestic regulatory documents and international documents that are the basis for the formation of state policy on maternity and childhood care in Ukraine are considered. 9.5 million people in Ukraine are at risk of or living with a mental disorder, of whom 3.9 million suffer from symptoms ranging from moderate to severe. In view of this, the “Action Plan for 2024-2026 on the Implementation of the Concept of Mental Health Development in Ukraine for the Period up to 2030” requires significant additions. Negative trends in the health of children in Ukraine are doubly concerning in connection with the crisis demographic situation. Ukraine is considered one of the countries with the lowest birth rates in the world. The birth rate in 2021, before the full-scale invasion, was 1.16 per woman of childbearing age. The demographic situation in Ukraine required the development of a long-term consistent policy. A significant step in this regard was the adoption of the extremely important document “Strategy of Demographic Development of Ukraine for the Period up to 2040” and “Action Plan for the Implementation of the Strategy of Demographic Development of Ukraine for the Period up to 2040 in 2024-2027”. An important step towards fully addressing disability issues in Ukraine was the approval of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) as the National Classifier. In April 2022, the National Classifier of Functioning, Disability and Health (NC 030:2022) was adopted in Ukraine. The state of reproductive health of women in Ukraine is characterized by unsatisfactory indicators of infertility, miscarriage, incidence of sexually transmitted infections, oncological pathology of the reproductive organs, etc.
Conclusions. The results of the analysis indicate a number of problems in the organization of medical care for children and mothers and require urgent solutions at the state, sectoral and regional levels.
No conflict of interest was declared by the authors.
References
Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. (2021). Issues of rehabilitation organization in the field of health care. Nastanova vid 2021 Nov 03. No 1268-2021-п. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/en/1268-2021-%D0%BF?lang=uk#Text.
Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. (2022). Ukraine received candidate status for EU membership. URL: https://www.kmu.gov.ua/news/ukrayina-otrimala-status-kandidata-na-chlenstvo-v-yes.
Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. (2023). On approval of the Strategy for Reforming the School Nutrition System for the Period Until 2027 and approval of the Operational Plan of Measures for its Implementation in 2023-2024. Nastanova vid 2023 Oct 27 No 990-2023-р. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/990-2023-%D1%80?lang=en#Text.
Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. (2024). On approval of the action plan for 2024-2026 for the implementation of the Concept for the Development of Mental Health Care in Ukraine for the period until 2030. Nastanova vid 2024 Jun 21. No 572-2024-р. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/en/572-2024-%D1%80?lang=uk#Text.
Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. (2024). On the approval of the Demographic Development Strategy of Ukraine for the period until 2040. Nastanova vid 2024 Sep 30. No 922-2024-р. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/en/922-2024-%D1%80?lang=uk#Text.
Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. (2024). Some issues in implementing the assessment of a person's daily functioning. Nastanova vid 2024 Nov 15. No1338-2024-п. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/en/1338-2024-%D0%BF?lang=uk#Text.
Clark H, Coll-Seck AM, Banerjee A, Peterson S, Dalglish SL, Ameratunga S et al. (2020). A future for the world's children? A WHO-UNICEF-Lancet Commission. Lancet. 395(10224): 605-658. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(19)32540-1; PMid:32085821
Dalglish SL, Costello A, Clark H, Coll-Seck A. (2021, May 1). Children in All Policies 2030: a new initiative to implement the recommendations of the WHO-UNICEF-Lancet Commission. Lancet. 397(10285): 1605-1607. Epub 2021 Apr 20. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00718-2; PMid:33891894
Ministry of economy of Ukraine. (2023). On approval of the national classifier NK 030:2022. Nakaz Ministry of economy of Ukraine vid 2023 Aug 01 No v0810930-22. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/rada/show/v0810930-22#n10.
Ministry of Health of Ukraine. (2018, Mar 23). Pro zatverdzhennja planu zahodiv MOZ Ukraini z vikonannja planu zahodiv iz vprovadzhennja v Ukraini mizhnarodnoi klasifikacii funkcionuvannja. Nakaz MOZ Ukraini vid 2018 Mar 23 No. 552. URL: https://moz.gov.ua/uk/decrees/nakaz-moz-ukraini-vid-23032018--552-pro-zatverdzhennja-planu-zahodiv-ministerstva-ohoroni-zdorov%E2%80%99ja-ukraini-z-vikonannja-planu-zahodiv-iz-vprovadzhennja-v-ukraini-mizhnarodnoi-klasifikacii-funkcionuvannja
Ministry of Health of Ukraine. (2018, May 23). Pro zatverdzhennja perekladu mizhnarodnoi klasifikacii funkcionuvannja obmezhen zhittedijalnosti ta zdorovya ta mizhnarodnoi klasifikacii funkcionuvannja obmezhen zhittedijalnosti ta zdorovya ditej I pidlitkiv. Nakaz MOZ Ukraini vid 2018 May 23 No. 981. URL: https://moz.gov.ua/uk/decrees/nakaz-moz-ukraini-vid-23052018--981-pro-zatverdzhennja-perekladu-mizhnarodnoi-klasifikacii-funkcionuvannja-obmezhen-zhittedijalnosti-ta-zdorov%E2%80%99ja-ta-mizhnarodnoi-klasifikacii-funkcionuvannja-obmezhen-zhittedijalnosti-ta-zdorov%E2%80%99ja-ditej-i-pidlitkiv.
Ministry of Health of Ukraine. (2023). MKF. URL: https://moz.gov.ua/uk/mkf.
Ministry of Health of Ukraine. (2025). Perschii rik peformi ocinuvannya povsjakdennogo funkcionuvannya osoby. Analitichnii zvit. URL: https://moz.gov.ua/uk/news/pershij-rik-novoyi-sistemi-ocinyuvannya-povsyakdennogo-funkcionuvannya-ponad-piv-miljona-sprav-i-skorochennya-strokiv-rozglyadu
Moiseienko R, Zhylka N, Hoida N, Dudina O, Holubchykov M, Oktysiuk Zh. (2023). Stan reproduktyvnoho zdorovia zhinok Ukrainy. Ukraina. Zdorovia natsii. (1): 51-59. https://doi.org/10.32782/2077-6594/2023.1/09
President of Ukraine. (2025). On Children's Day. Decree of the President of Ukraine No 355/2025. URL: https://www.president.gov.ua/documents/3552025-55141.
Slovo I Dilo. (2022). Liashko rozpoviv, yak viina vplyne na zdorovia ukraintsiv u dovhostrokovii perspektyvi. URL: https://www.slovoidilo.ua/2022/08/18/novyna/suspilstvo/lyashko-rozpoviv-yak-vijna-vplyne-zdorovya-ukrayincziv-dovhostrokovij-perspektyvi.
Tsentr derzhavnoi statystyky. (2025), Bank danykh. Narodzhuvanist. Smertnist. URL: https://stat.gov.ua/uk/explorer
Tsentr hromadskoho zdorovia. Medychna zvitnist. Dovidnyky statystychnykh pokaznykiv. URL: https://phc.org.ua/monitoring-i-statistika/meddata/dovidniki-statistichnikh-pokaznikiv
Ukrainska Pravda. (2025). Miniust: U 2024 rotsi smertnist v Ukraini perevyshchyla narodzhuvanist maizhe vtrychi. URL: https://life.pravda.com.ua/society/skilki-u-2024-roci-v-ukrajini-narodilosya-ta-pomerlo-lyudey-statistika-306201/.
UNICEF. (2024). Youth Investment Case_UA. URL: https://www.unicef.org/ukraine/media/47241/file/Youth%20Investment%20Case_UA.pdf.pdf.
UNICEF. (2025). Protect and Prioritize Every Child in Ukraine. URL: https://www.unicef.org/ukraine/stories/protect-and-prioritize.
UNICEF. For every child. URL: https://www.unicef.org/.
United Nations Development Programme. (2015). What are the Sustainable Development Goals? URL: https://www.undp.org/ukraine/sustainable-development-goals.
Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. (2001). Pro zatverdzhennia Pereliku medychnykh pokazan, shcho daiut pravo na oderzhannia derzhavnoi sotsialnoi dopomohy na ditei-invalidiv vikom do 16 rokiv. Postanova Verkhovnoi Radi Ukraine vid 08 Nov 2001 No z1073-01. URL:https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/z1073-01#Text
Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. (2022). On some measures to fulfill Ukraine's obligations in the field of European integration. Postanova Verkhovnoi Radi Ukraine vid 2022 Jul 29 No 2483-IX. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2483-IX?lang=en#Text.
Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. (2025). Fundamentals of Ukrainian legislation on health care Postanova Verkhovnoi Radi Ukraine vid 2025 Jan 05 No 2801-XII. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2801-12#Text.
Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. (2025). On Rehabilitation in Healthcare. Postanova Verkhovnoi Radi Ukraine vid 2025 Jan 01 No 1053-IX. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/en/1053-20?lang=uk#Text.
Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. (2025). On Rehabilitation of the Disabled in Ukraine. Postanova Verkhovnoi Radi Ukraine vid 2025 Apr 04 No 2961-IV. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2961-15?lang=en#Text.
Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. (2025). On State Financial Guarantees of Medical Service to the Population. Postanova Verkhovnoi Radi Ukraine vid 2025 Aug 08 No 2168-VIII. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2168-19?lang=en#Text.
Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. (2025). Pro vnesennia zmin do deiakykh nakaziv Ministerstva okhorony zdorovia Ukrainy. Postanova Verkhovnoi Radi Ukraine vid 10 Nov 2025 No z0009-26. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/z0009-26#Text
Wikipedia. List of countries by rate of natural increase. URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_rate_of_natural_increase.
World Health Organization. (2025). Ukraine: WHO Health Emergency Appeal 2025. URL: https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/ukraine--who-health-emergency-appeal-2025.
World Health Organization. Reproductive health. URL: https://www.who.int/southeastasia/health-topics/reproductive-health.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Ukrainian Journal of Perinatology and Pediatrics
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
The policy of the Journal “Ukrainian Journal of Perinatology and Pediatrics” is compatible with the vast majority of funders' of open access and self-archiving policies. The journal provides immediate open access route being convinced that everyone – not only scientists - can benefit from research results, and publishes articles exclusively under open access distribution, with a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 international license(СС BY-NC).
Authors transfer the copyright to the Journal “MODERN PEDIATRICS. UKRAINE” when the manuscript is accepted for publication. Authors declare that this manuscript has not been published nor is under simultaneous consideration for publication elsewhere. After publication, the articles become freely available on-line to the public.
Readers have the right to use, distribute, and reproduce articles in any medium, provided the articles and the journal are properly cited.
The use of published materials for commercial purposes is strongly prohibited.
