EU to connect Ukraine to European health data system starting in 2026

Starting next year, the European Union will launch a pilot project to help Ukraine join the European health system for cross-border data exchange. This initiative will enable the sharing of medical information between Ukraine and the 27 EU member states.

The pilot project that links Ukraine and Estonia was announced by Vira Konyk, President of the Congress of Ukrainians of Estonia (CUE), who cited Jaanika Merilo, a Ukrainian civic activist and advisor to Ukraine’s Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov.

“In the future, a doctor in Ukraine will be able to issue a prescription to a Ukrainian patient that can be filled in any EU country. Similarly, a Ukrainian patient visiting a doctor in Estonia will be able to grant access to their key medical data entered in Ukraine,” Merilo said.

Currently, Estonia ranks first alongside Belgium in the eHealth index and has achieved 100 percent digital maturity. The country already exchanges medical data with 13 other nations connected to this infrastructure.

“Estonia’s most in-demand cross-border service is the electronic prescription system between Estonia and Finland, which daily improves and ensures the safety of tens of thousands of citizens in both countries,” Merilo said.

The pilot project involving Ukraine was also discussed during a recent visit by Estonia’s Minister of Social Affairs, Karmen Joller, to Ukraine, where she met with Ukrainian Health Minister Viktor Liashko.