At the end of 2021, the Foundation team developed a strategic vision that focused not only on providing free legal assistance to socially vulnerable groups, but also on environmental issues and reducing the impact of environmental risks associated with the health care system in Ukraine that are especially relevant in the current context, cooperation with the united territorial communities (UTC) and actors in the field of medical assistance.

In many ways, 2021 was no less challenging for the health sector than 2020. Despite the generally successful vaccination programs, we ended the year with an increase in the number of cases. COVID-19 continues to demonstrate the vulnerability of our economic and health care systems and emphasizes the importance of creating a more sustainable health care sector. Our health care system must be resilient not only to future pandemics, but also to the ever-increasing threat to public health from environmental crises, especially climate change.

The effects of global warming and widespread environmental degradation on human health are obvious. Fortunately, it is becoming increasingly clear that the health sector can play an important leading role in combating environmental damage, and we are now seeing a significant progress in this regard, to which, unfortunately, Ukraine has not yet been involved.

Supporting the decarbonisation of European health care, our Foundation last year launched a high-speed educational advocacy campaign in collaboration with national health care administrations and partners abroad. We hope to convey to the Ukrainian authorities the need to introduce a methodology for the development of decarbonization roadmaps at the systemic level for health care, supporting our desire for the Ukrainian health care system to take a course on zero emissions. At the same time, efforts to combat climate change and waste accumulation at the level of individual health care providers need to be boosted through the development of our new Medical Waste Management Toolkit.

The main structural elements of the new “Sustainable Health Care System” direction for the Foundation can be found on the Foundation website. These include subprojects: 1) Closed-cycle economics in health care; 2) Climatically optimized health care; 3) Safe pharmaceutical industry; 4) Sustainable nutrition system.

We believe that at the beginning of 2022, Ukraine is paying unjustifiably little (actually zero) attention to these issues, which are extremely important, and we need to correct this.

We will also continue to engage with a wide range of stakeholders in life improvement practices, including mindfulness practices. In the spring, we plan to launch a long-term project to train people involved in ancillary professions, meditation practices and methods to develop awareness and attention in professional and daily life.

Mindfulness practices are used for emotional self-regulation, relaxation, stress relief, development of concentration and building relationships with colleagues. Awareness-raising practices help reduce “burnout” at work and increase satisfaction with life and work process.

We need to rethink how we approach well-being, justice and trauma so that we can provide a new level of care for our people, inside and outside our organizations.