Health care and public health in the former Soviet Union, 1992. Ukraine--a case study.

The dissolution of the Soviet Union created many problems for the health care systems of the New Independent States (NIS). To address these problems, the U.S. Secretary of State convened a coordinating conference in Washington, D.C., on 22-23 January 1992 at which more than 50 nations and organizations were represented. After this conference, an expert medical working group visited 10 republics of the NIS during February and March 1992. Hospitals, public health facilities, and pharmaceutical plants and distribution sites were visited to assess the health care needs of a large population in a vast geographic area. It was concluded that the massive health care system of the Soviet Union remains largely intact but has major economic and supply deficiencies. The assessment process and findings in one republic, Ukraine, are presented. Ukraine was chosen because of its size, location, and representativeness.