1 March 2023 - Opening of the Cystic Fibrosis Center in Ukraine

On February 28, International Day of Rare Diseases, an important event took place within SK UA CF CARE project in Prykarpattia - opening of the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Center on the basis of the pulmonology department of the Regional Children's Clinical Hospital. 

Opening of the center took place within the project "Sharing experience and building a Cystic Fibrosis Center to provide better care for cystic fibrosis patients in the Ivano-Frankivsk region of Ukraine" within ENI Hungary-Slovakia-Romania-Ukraine CBC Program 2014-2020. The event was attended by the Deputy Head of Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Military (State) Administration Mrs. Liudmyla Sirko, Director of Department of Health of the IFRMA Mr. Ihor Dmytrenko, Rector of Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University Prof. Mykola Rozhko, Head of the Slovak Cystic Fibrosis Association MUDr. Katarina Stepankova and her slovak project team, Rimon Charitable Foundation headed by Mrs. Natalia Pryanykova, expert of HUSKROUA ENI CBC 2014-2020 Programme Branch office in Ivano-Frankivsk Mrs. Oksana Shyychuk, medical and patient community.

Main aim of the project is to create a CF Center in Ivano-Frankivsk and to improve medical support of CF patients using the experience of European countries, including innovative technologies, because patients with this disease need continuous active treatment, almost a daily struggle for life and supervision of qualified doctors. Now, children with CF (there are 32 of them and 10 adult patients) have the opportunity to receive comprehensive modern treatment.

Separate attention deserves "SIMEOX" - a powerful device for evacuating sputum from the respiratory tract, which is the main problem for CF patients. There are no analogues of it in Ukrainian medical institutions. In Europe, such device has been used for only two years, and in Ukraine it is registered for the first time.

The project is being successflully implemented with partners from the Slovak Cystic Fibrosis Association Slovenská Asociácia Cystickej Fibrózy, the RIMON Charitable Foundation, with the assistance of the Regional Council and the hospital's CEO. Even in the difficult times of war, dream of many people - children with cystic fibrosis and their families - has been fulfilled. Now necessary regular treatment will be comfortable, enjoyable, and most importantly, with the use of the most modern equipment and the latest treatment methods.