IMCF and UNICEF renew partnership to strengthen health and psychosocial support for refugees from Ukraine in Poland

Warsaw, Poland, 28 January 2025 – The Institute of Mother and Child Foundation (IMCF) and the UNICEF Refugee Response Office in Poland are renewing their partnership to further enhance health and psychosocial support for refugees from Ukraine in Poland in 2025. Building on a history of successful collaboration, the renewed cooperation will focus on immunization and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) for children and families displaced by the conflict in Ukraine.

Over the past two years, IMCF and UNICEF have successfully collaborated to improve the well-being of refugee families, reaching over 300,000 caregivers with crucial information about immunization. Joint activities have also included comprehensive research to identify barriers and enablers to accessing immunization and MHPSS services among Ukrainian mothers and health workers, as well as organizing key events.

"Nearly three years after the escalation of the war in Ukraine, the most vulnerable refugee children and families from Ukraine in Poland have persistent humanitarian needs. Through the renewal of our partnership with IMCF, we continue to address their need for access to health services, aiming to further enhance institutional capacities and ensure sustained support for refugees from Ukraine while strengthening the inclusiveness of Poland’s healthcare system,” said Nona Zicherman, Country Coordinator for the UNICEF Refugee Response Office in Poland. “By equipping professionals with critical tools and fostering community engagement, our partnership will improve health outcomes and support quality services for vulnerable populations,” she added.

“We are thrilled to continue this strong partnership with UNICEF, which allows us to gain valuable experience and enhance our efforts to improve the health of children and their families in challenging life circumstances. Extending our cooperation to include support for children and adolescents' mental health and psychological well-being is particularly significant for us. The growing psychological crisis among the youngest generations demands urgent and multifaceted actions to reverse this troubling trend. Our joint plans with UNICEF for 2025 will be an important step in this direction," said D.Sc. Dorota Kleszczewska, IMCF president of the board.

Both organizations will continue their work to equip healthcare professionals and community members with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively expand access to MHPSS and immunization services among refugees and their host communities. The efforts will build on insights gained from past joint research which have informed the targeted strategies to improve accessibility and address challenges faced by displaced families.

Through this renewed partnership, IMCF and UNICEF will leverage their shared expertise and resources to support the health and psychosocial well-being of children and families displaced from Ukraine, while fostering a more inclusive and resilient healthcare system in Poland.