As Ukrainians grapple with war, Pact and partners strengthened vital services for health and mental health

Tetiana Tsykhach isn’t a mental health specialist. She is a family doctor at Bohuslav Primary Health Care Center in Kyiv, Ukraine. Yet she sees the psychological toll of the war daily.  

“I can now feel, almost physically, how deeply people have been traumatized by the war,” she says. “I’m not just talking about those directly involved in combat.” 

It’s an observation that speaks to the complex public health needs in Ukraine as the country continues to face the devastating war wrought by Russia. Within this context, Pact delivered the USAID-funded Public Health System Recovery and Resilience project, or PHS R&R, from 2022 to 2025.  

PHS R&R worked to strengthen the government of Ukraine’s capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats, sustain critical public health services during crisis, expand mental health support for veterans and war-affected populations, and protect the health of all Ukrainians, including vulnerable and marginalized groups.  

Over the course of the effort, Pact and our partners provided grants, technical assistance, and support to 39 local organizations to help them address the urgent public health and mental health needs of Ukrainians and strengthen the capacities of service providers.  

The collective impact has been significant: nearly 4,000 mental health and health professionals trained, more than 40,000 Ukrainians served, nearly 1.2 million people reached by information campaigns that built demand for health services and destigmatized mental health care.  

Below, learn how three PHS R&R-supported organizations made a difference in Ukrainians’ health amid war.  

Lisova Poliana Resource Center: Needed services for veterans 
Lisova Poliana Resource Center, which works across Ukraine, provides critical mental health care for veterans and their families. With grants from PHS R&R, the organization improved its services for veterans with mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) and for people who have survived captivity, torture, conflict-related sexual violence, and other war-related trauma.  

Among other activities, the resource center used PHS R&R’s support to hold trainings for service providers on eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy and bio-suggestive therapy; develop an implementation manual and train staff from five health care facilities to replicate its model; create online courses on MTBI care and more; and build an online platform called Vilnyi Step to help survivors of captivity and torture access services.  

Lisova Poliana Resource Center trained nearly 1,700 service providers, and more than 270,000 people have used Vilnyi Step.  

“I have completed two modules of the EMDR training course and have already started using this method in my practice,” says Tetiana Rudenko, a psychotherapist. “It works exceptionally well and meets the current needs of my clients, particularly veterans. It has been especially effective with families of fallen soldiers.” 

Global Compact: Increasing access to online mental health care 
Amid a complex war that has disrupted people’s lives in ways big and small, online mental health services can be a lifeline. Supported by PHS R&R, the Ukrainian organization Global Compact bolstered its online mental health services in key ways, including training clinicians to provide counseling via the MentalHelp online platform and conducting open online lectures on mental health topics. 

“My children woke me up with a phone call at 5 a.m. and told me that it had started,” shares one woman who relied on Global Compact’s services. “Then I heard fighter jets flying over my town, Korosten. The most emotionally difficult moment was when we heard the news that during the evacuation in Irpin, my daughter's colleague had died along with her sons and dog. It was impossible to believe.  

“When I found out about the MentalHelp platform, I decided to make an appointment with psychologist Oksana Dezera. I turned to her when I couldn't sleep and when the fear of death overwhelmed me. She encouraged me to talk, even though it was very difficult for me. Although I often cried after our conversations, I felt better and stronger. It's incredible that she didn't let me drown in my fears. I couldn't have coped on my own. I am grateful to her for her assistance, which gave me the strength to continue living.” 

Save Ukraine: Meeting the needs of children and families 
For 8-year-old Dmytro (name changed), the war took everything: his home, his friends, his childhood. The boy's family left Donetsk region and ended up at a healing center in Kyiv. Dmytro’s older brothers quickly adapted to the new conditions, but Dmytro had a harder time. The most difficult thing for him was getting to know other children and making new friends. His parents worried, but they didn't know how to help.  

Fortunately, Save Ukraine was there to assist. The Kyiv-based organization works to strengthen and expand mental health and psychosocial support services for families and children affected by the war. A big part of its work is generating demand for mental health care in local communities through information campaigns, as well as expanding access to care.  

With support from PHS R&R, Save Ukraine held specialized trauma therapy training for mental health service providers and delivered individual counseling and group sessions through the organization’s network of community care centers. Save Ukraine opened new centers in Irpin and Gatne and launched new awareness-raising initiatives. PHS R&R’s support enabled the organization to serve more than 2,900 clients, including 1,100 children, and reach more than 91,000 people with key messages about mental health care.  

Dmytro was among the children served. A Save Ukraine psychologist, Inna Semenko, noticed that it was difficult for Dmytro to express his emotions. In a care session, she used the “volcano” method, which helps identify aggression and understand its underlying causes. She suggested that Dmytro draw pictures.  

Through them, he began to express what was wrong. He learned how to release his emotions without hurting himself or others. Gradually, Dmytro became calmer. He began to smile and interact more easily with other children. He opened up to communication and, most importantly, learned to understand his feelings.