Director of the Department of Standards in the Field of Healthcare of the State Expert Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine Oksana Hulenko took part in a working visit of the Ukrainian delegation to Copenhagen (Kingdom of Denmark), which took place at the invitation of the Danish Ministry of Health and the Danish Health Authority.
The delegation included representatives of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the National Health Service of Ukraine, healthcare institutions and experts in the field of mental health of children and adolescents.
Within the framework of the visit, our representatives became acquainted with Denmark's approaches to the formation of state policy in the field of mental health of children and adolescents, mechanisms for implementing clinical standards and practices of specialized care, and models for planning and financing medical services.
Particular attention was paid to the development of patient-oriented models of care, ensuring continuity of psychosocial support, intersectoral interaction and training of relevant specialists.
For its part, the Ukrainian side presented strategic approaches to the development of psychosocial and psychiatric care in communities, as well as the sectoral contribution to the implementation of the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Programme "How Are You?", initiated by the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska.
Particular attention was paid to the challenges related to the impact of the full-scale war on the mental health of children, adolescents and their families, as well as to the needs of the healthcare system in the development of specialised care.
Within the framework of the programme, our specialists took part in practical discussions at the Danish Health Authority, the Copenhagen Municipality, and specialised psychiatric institutions.
Denmark's experience is important in the context of overcoming the impact of war on the mental health of children and adolescents and of post-war recovery. The knowledge gained will contribute to improving the standardisation of medical care in the field of mental health in Ukraine and to the further development of the national healthcare system.
We express our gratitude for the organisation of the visit and for facilitating the professional exchange of experience to the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the Danish Ministry of the Interior and Health, the Embassy of Denmark in Ukraine and the Danish Health Authority.
