XII Europe-Ukraine Forum

In Rzeszów, on 24 and 25 January, the 12th Europe-Ukraine Forum was held. This year's event was devoted to the reform and modernization of Ukraine.

It turned out the discussions about the aging of Eastern European societies and its challenges were very heated. Among the above-mentioned panels were two co-organized by Eleven Zett Productions - "Aging society - socio-medical challenge of Poland and Ukraine" and "Reforming the health care system. Why is it so difficult to achieve success?" attended by: Tymofiy Badikow, Vice Chairman of the Social Council, Ministry of Healthcare of Ukraine, Stanisław Kruczek, Member of the Board, Marshal Office of the Subcarpathian Voivodeship, Roman Kolek, Vice-Marshal, Marshal Office of the Opole Voivodeship, Konstanty Radziwiłł, Senate of the Republic of Poland, Marek Król, Vice Chairman of the Board and Chief Medical Officer, American Heart of Poland, Barbara Zych, Manager of the Nursing Home in Tarnobrzeg, Adam Szlachta, American Heart of Poland, and Marcin Pakulski, public health specialist and member of the National Geriatrics and Gerontology Council at the National Institute of Geriatrics, Rheumatology and Rehabilitation. One of the debate was moderated by Ewelina Zych-Myłek, Expert in Healthcare Communication and CEO of IQ.

An aging population is a problem that has been growing both in Poland and Ukraine for many years. Both countries are suffering from shortages of personnel and deficiencies in elderly or chronically ill care. Among many reforms that were introduced in these countries during the political and economic transformation, the most difficult changes were in the healthcare system. The needs of aging and increasingly demanding Eastern European societies are constantly increasing, putting new challenges ahead of the Polish and Ukrainian health services. Will investments in medical infrastructure and the development of long-term care and sanatorium care be the answer to this problem? The participants of the Forum tried to answer these questions.