Readout of HHS Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs Loyce Pace’s Bilateral Meeting with the Minister of Health of Ukraine

On Monday, May 23, 2022, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs, Loyce Pace, hosted a bilateral meeting with Viktor Liashko, the Minister of Healthcare of Ukraine and both countries’ delegations at the 75th World Health Assembly, currently taking place in Geneva, Switzerland.

Both delegations acknowledged the longstanding collaborations between the two countries in health, including a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) country office based in Ukraine.  The U.S. delegation reiterated their solidarity with the people of Ukraine during Russia’s unprovoked invasion, particularly condemning attacks on health care facilities and workers.  They praised the resilience of the Ukrainian people and outlined health support to Ukraine across the U.S. government.

Minister Liashko noted the commitment of his people to endure and thanked the U.S. delegation for the United States’ continuous support for the people of Ukraine. He emphasized the physical and mental toll this conflict has had on their health workers, and that Ukraine will need ongoing support from the international community to rebuild their health system, including mental health support.

The two delegations committed to remain in close contact, with the U.S. delegation assuring their Ukrainian counterparts of continued support, as well as continuation of technical health collaboration, despite the challenging circumstances.

The U.S. delegation included Loyce Pace, HHS Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs; Benjamin Moeling, Deputy Chief of U.S. Mission Geneva; Atul Gawande, Assistant Administrator for Global Health, U.S. Agency for International Development; Mitch Wolfe, Chief Medical Officer, CDC; and Bob Riley, Political Minister Counselor, U.S. Mission Geneva.

The Ukraine delegation included Viktor Liashko, Minister of Healthcare; Oleksii Iaremenko, Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine for European Integration; Oleksandr Kapustin, Deputy Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva; Serhii Savchuk, Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva; and Taras Grytsenko, Adviser to the Minister of Health/ Interpreter.