On 10 August 2026, the Ministry for Veterans Affairs of Ukraine and the International Charitable Foundation “Alliance for Public Health” signed a Memorandum of Cooperation.
The Memorandum lays the foundation for systematic cooperation in the areas of medical, psychosocial and social support, habilitation and rehabilitation for veterans and their family members. The parties will also work together to strengthen the professional competencies of specialists, support veteran spaces and introduce modern digital solutions.
“One of our priorities is to establish consistent, high-quality approaches to providing services for veterans across all communities. Cooperation with the Alliance for Public Health will help combine practical experience, modern tools and international expertise to strengthen the system of habilitation, rehabilitation and comprehensive support,” said Ruslan Prykhodko, Deputy Minister for Veterans Affairs of Ukraine for European Integration.
The key areas of cooperation include:
- developing medical, psychosocial and social support for veterans and their family members;
- improving habilitation and rehabilitation systems;
- developing and scaling up comprehensive support programmes for veterans with visual impairments;
- implementing programmes to support sexual and reproductive health;
- developing peer-to-peer counselling for veterans;
- training and strengthening the professional competencies of veteran assistants, medical and social workers, and other specialists;
- providing psychosocial support to veterans’ children and family members;
- supporting the development and professional growth of veteran hubs and centres in local communities;
- conducting joint research, training programmes, information activities and conferences.
A separate area of cooperation will focus on the development, implementation and scale-up of digital platforms and services, including solutions powered by artificial intelligence.
“Veterans are not a single, homogeneous group. They are people with different needs and challenges that require professional solutions to enable them to live fulfilling lives — with their physical and mental health, family and social environment all taken into account. Together with our partners, the Alliance has already supported thousands of veterans, including people who have undergone amputations, lost their sight, need mental health support or have other individual needs. The signing of the Memorandum with the Ministry for Veterans Affairs takes our cooperation to a new level. Together, we will expand habilitation programmes, standardise new approaches, train specialists and introduce digital solutions developed together with the veteran community,” emphasised Andriy Klepikov, Executive Director of the Alliance for Public Health.
The practical areas of further cooperation include standardising habilitation services and developing a network of habilitation centres. The parties also plan to work together through the School of Habilitation for Communities, currently being developed by the Alliance for Public Health.
“Over the past several months, we have been working closely with the Ministry for Veterans Affairs to systematise the practical experience of habilitation spaces so that it can be scaled up across local communities. This is the approach we are incorporating into the School of Habilitation: we aim to provide local teams not only with knowledge, but also with clear approaches, practical tools and effective models of service delivery.
“Within this cooperation, particular attention will also be given to the sexual and reproductive health of veterans, including people with disabilities, as well as their family members. This topic remains largely taboo and is still frequently overlooked in the comprehensive process of rehabilitation and return to active life. With support from Sida, we have already begun developing this area of work at HAB.Lviv, and we want the approaches developed through this initiative to become part of Ukraine’s comprehensive support system for veterans,” said Anna Horkun, Project Lead at HAB | Lviv Habilitation Center.
The initiative is intended to help local communities develop high-quality and accessible services for veterans, introduce consistent approaches to service delivery and strengthen the professional capacity of local teams.
To implement the agreements, the parties will develop joint work plans, hold consultations and working meetings, establish expert groups and engage other institutions and organisations in the cooperation.
The signing of the Memorandum is expected to strengthen cooperation between the government and civil society, support the scale-up of practical solutions and expand access to high-quality, comprehensive support for veterans and their family members.