Ukraine

Background

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Ukraine’s government has made commitments to children’s rights, but spending on social services remains limited, in part because of the struggling economy. The nation’s Soviet-era infrastructure has deteriorated, but a new system has not yet taken its place. Two-thirds of the population lives in rural areas, where poverty is widespread.

Issues facing children in Ukraine

• Ukraine is on the brink of an HIV/AIDS epidemic. A large proportion of those infected are under age 30, and there has been an alarming increase in mother-to-child HIV transmission. Risky behaviour among the young, including injecting drug use, is fuelling the spread of HIV.

• Many low-income children have poor nutrition and no access to primary health care.

• About 68 per cent of the population consumes non-iodized salt, leading to widespread iodine-deficiency disorders.

• The number of children living on the streets has risen steadily over the past decade, creating urgent problems in human trafficking for forced prostitution, forced labour and sexual exploitation.

• Domestic violence is a serious problem. A Ukrainian Academy of Sciences survey estimates that 20 per cent of women suffer abuse on a regular basis.

• There is no separate juvenile justice system in Ukraine.

Activities and results for children

• UNICEF assisted the Ministry of Health in creating a programme to monitor the HIV status of pregnant women and train medical personnel in preventing mother-to-child transmission.

• Through a mass media campaign to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS prevention, the development of youth-friendly health-care services, and outreach programmes based in state-run shelters for children living on the streets, UNICEF aims to help forestall an HIV/AIDS crisis.

• UNICEF helped the Ministry of Health develop guidelines for “Baby Friendly” hospitals.  Eighteen hospitals are certified as meeting these standards for breastfeeding and improved prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal care.

• Routine vaccination of infants against hepatitis B began in 2003 and was dramatically expanded in 2004.

• UNICEF assisted in the creation of the 2004 National Programme on Young Children’s Development, which calls for community-based kindergartens and counselling centres for parents. Special efforts have been made to improve health services for children in the most disadvantaged communities.

• Iodized salt production increased by 215% in 2004. UNICEF is lobbying for universal salt iodization, and has provided rapid test kits to help monitor salt supplies.
  

• UNICEF is working with policy-makers on initiatives to prevent human trafficking, improve social services for children living in the streets and develop a new juvenile justice system.