Institutional capacity on protection against infectious diseases in Ukraine

The reform of sanitary and epidemiological surveillance and protection of the population against infectious diseases is accompanied by serious challenges and unforeseen circumstances. In Ukraine, a significant number of persons who are infected with hepatitis C and B. Ukraine is a leader in Europe in terms of HIV prevalence. In 2019, half of all measles cases in the European Region were reported in Ukraine. In the same year, the number of cases of diphtheria increased. In Ukraine, a significant number of tuberculosis patients. Coronavirus (COVID-19) is spreading worldwide today. In this article, we will focus on issues Institutional capacity on protection against infectious diseases in particular, and sanitary-epidemiological surveillance in particular. The Ministry of Health of Ukraine is the central executive authority, which provides formation and implementation of the state policy on protection of the population health against infectious diseases. The Ministry of Health of Ukraine also ensures the formation of state policy in the areas of sanitary and epidemiological well-being of the population. What executive authority implements the state policy in the sphere of sanitary and epidemiological well-being of the population, regarding the protection of the population from infectious diseases? This authority was the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Service of Ukraine (SES). In 2014, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine decided to reorganize the SES. The decision on the reorganization of the SES was appealed in court and was found unlawful. In 2017, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine changed its previous decision - now the SES was not subject to reorganization but liquidation. In terms of unlawfulness / lawfulness of actions (decision-making) by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine were analyzed. The conclusion: Cabinet of Ministers had been acted in full compliance with the requirements of the legislation. An analysis of the history of the delegation of powers of the SES (including the results of court proceedings in this case) shows that: the functions of the implementation of state policy that belonged to the SES were entrusted to the State Service on Food Safety and Customer Protection, without functions of the implementation of state policy in the field of epidemiological surveillance. The problem is that, term what is “epidemiological surveillance”, at least at the legislative level is not set. At national legislation is enshrined and detailed in the subordinate legal acts “state sanitary and epidemiological surveillance”. It is justified that the transfer of the powers of the SES was not carried out properly and, in fact, its powers are not assigned to any of the state authorities.