On May 20-28,2019,the 72^nd World Health Assembly is taking place in Geneva. The delegations from 194 WHO member-states as well as from specialized agencies, programs and funds of the UN system and non-governmental organizations are attending the Assembly. 

At the opening of the event Tedros Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the WHO, emphasized on the Organization's successes within the framework of the 13^thWHO General Programme of Work for 2019-2023 aiming at accelerating achievement of the relevant Sustainable Development Goals, the progress of the WHO reform, ongoing challenges in the field of health care, namely on the need to invest in preparation for emergency eventsandissue of vaccination.

On May 21, during the general discussion Dr. Ulana Suprun, the Head of the Delegation of Ukraine, Acting Minister of Health of Ukraine, delivered the statement. She stressed that the transformation of Ukraine’s healthcare system has been a hallmark of change in our countryand informed that over the last 2 ½ years, the path to universal health coverage and attaining SDG 3 in Ukraine was built by redefining how healthcare services are financed by creating the National Health Service of Ukraine. It was highlighted that success of the reforms was achieved in spite of difficult conditions caused by the Russian aggression in Ukraine. After reminding participants about 13.000 people whose lives were taken by the war, fate of over 1.5 million Ukrainians forced to leave their homes, 70 political prisoners and 24 Ukrainian sailors prisonersof war kept behind bars by the Kremlin, Acting Minister called upon the member-states of the WHO and other international organizations to say “no” to doing business as usual with the Russian Federation. 

Dr Suprun underlined that the sanctions regime must be kept in place and expanded, until Russia rejoins the international rules-based system, beginning with withdrawing its military unitsfrom temporary occupied territories of Ukraine, and frees all Ukrainian prisoners of war and political prisoners.