Dialogue with local authorities and civil society on the environment and health in Ukraine

Through coordination and financial support of Green Cross Switzerland within the International SOCMED Program in Ukraine activities are successfully implemented and projects keep being carried out to provide assistance to the most vulnerable people. Since the beginning of the new year working visits were carried out in the regions, cooperation contracts with new partners were signed to be able to continue work.
Activity in the regions continues taking place: lawyers, psychologists, pedagogues, social workers give their expert advice humanitarian and medical assistance is provided to large families, people who live in polluted areas affected by the Chernobyl accident. Support is rendered for children in the psychological rehabilitation centers, informational and educational centers. Volunteers are actively involved in activities and events. Members and activists of the organization take part in the citywide program, they advocate and initiate monitoring of the environmental and social situation.
February 16, 2016 there was round table in the town of Bila Tserkva,. GCU team consisting of Yuriy Sapiga, Chariman of the Board, Coordinator of International SOCMED Program, Tatiana Ishchenko Project Coordinator, Dmitry Sapiga, Project Assistant and Elena Ivanova, Regional Coordinator attended the event to discuss the current problems of the city and the region, possible solutions, the involvement of Green Cross in solving of problems and developing new partnerships with representatives of the district and the community. Experts in the field of environment and health, representatives of the city administration also took part in the discussion, families were invited. The meeting was held in the library building, branch number 8 with the support of the Director of Library urban centralized system Raisa Grigorenko and Hmilova Svetlana, Head of the library.
GCU Chairman of the Board Yuriy Sapiga made an opening speech. He spoke about Green Cross projects, arrangement of activities within SOCMED program, he shared plans for the current year and said that the organization continues to be aimed at improving the life and health of Ukrainian families and especially children. Among the invited guests and speakers were Vladimir Nazarenko, leading researcher at the Institute of Biochemistry, environmentalist, Professor of the State Ecological Academy, Leonid Kovalenko, Academician of the International Academy of Spiritual Unity of the peoples of the world, PhD, Tatiana Gaponova, Head of the Department of Environmental Protection, Tatiana Kirsanova, physician of the city hospital №1, Marina Lisych, lawyer of the Center of legal assistance.
They discussed the urgent issues of health, environmental situation, social status, environment. Among the environmental problems of the city and the region there are the consequences of the Chernobyl accident, air pollution emissions from the negative output and a high flow of vehicles, waste management and disposal, pollution of water resources. A separate topic on the legal protection of the environment, environmental law and environmental health was discussed, as well as changes in the structure of diseases, the causes of disease among the population of the region, methods of prevention and treatment to maintain and strengthen health, the importance of regular health rehabilitation of children.
For the current year it is planned to prepare new draft proposals to strengthen and expand the activities under the International SOCMED Program in Ukraine (medical unit, health improvement of children, rehabilitation of IDPs).
We invite interested people, organizations, foundations, enterprises for the joint implementation of new projects aimed at fostering the organization and provision of medical and social assistance to the population who live in the 3 and 4 Chernobyl zones and in ecologically unfavorable regions of Ukraine.
Green Cross Ukraine