Ukraine, Poland to hold cross-border epidemiological exercises in 2026
Ukraine and Poland have agreed that starting next year, epidemiology teams from both countries will conduct joint training exercises along the border.
Deputy Minister of Health and Ukraine’s Chief State Sanitary Doctor Ihor Kuzin told Ukrinform about this in a comment.
According to Kuzin, this is stipulated by a memorandum of cooperation signed on Friday in Warsaw by Ukraine’s Chief Sanitary Doctor Kuzin and Poland’s Chief Sanitary Inspector Paweł Grzesiowski.
“We decided that as part of this cooperation, we will conduct joint training for our teams on the Ukrainian-Polish border. Among other things, we will try to carry out several simulation exercises concerning cross-border epidemiological risks,” Kuzin said.
He added that these exercises will take place in 2026.
Kuzin noted that the memorandum, in addition to joint simulation drills, particularly in border regions, covers broader cooperation: regular exchange of epidemiological data between the two countries and mutual participation in seminars and conferences.
“We also agreed that border public health institutions will establish horizontal cooperation with the nearest county-level units of Poland’s sanitary service for information exchange and effective coordination,” Kuzin said.
Regarding Ukrainian-Polish cooperation in the medical field, the Deputy Health Minister highlighted that Poland hosts the largest medical evacuation hub (Rzeszów–Jasionka), which helps Ukraine evacuate patients to other countries.
“It is a key and essential hub for us. Therefore, we ask our Polish partners to maintain and further develop its operations so that it can continue working as long as possible,” Kuzin stressed.
He added that Poland also serves as a humanitarian hub for Ukraine not only providing its own assistance but also storing humanitarian aid destined for Ukraine from other countries.
“This model is still functioning, and it is indeed effective,” Kuzin emphasized.
Kuzin noted that, in terms of concrete needs, the ministry is focusing more on international medical partnerships, as direct cooperation between individual healthcare institutions in Ukraine and Poland can develop effectively.
“Our key medical institutions are beginning to exchange experience with Polish partners. This horizontal cooperation is quite effective and allows specialists to undergo training in hospitals and exchange experience more regularly,” he said.
He added that Polish partners are interested in Ukraine’s best practices in “critical fields” such as blood system management, forensic medicine, public health, civil-military cooperation, and disaster medicine.
“In other words, the main issues that interest our Polish colleagues – and on which the Ukrainian side is ready to share expertise – mostly concern critical sectors,” Kuzin noted.
As reported by Ukrinform, representatives of Ukraine’s Health Ministry and Defense Ministry briefed Polish medical professionals on how Ukraine’s medical system operates under conditions of Russian aggression. In a video address to conference participants, Ukraine’s Health Minister Viktor Liashko noted that since October 2022, the medical hub in Rzeszów has become a key waypoint for Ukrainians who need treatment in European hospitals. Twenty-two EU countries currently participate in this initiative, and more than 6,000 Ukrainians have already received assistance. Poland consistently ranks among the top three countries that have accepted the largest number of such patients.
Photo: Yurii Banakhevych / Ukrinform