UICC Solidarity Fund for Ukraine – one year since the invasion

HIGHLIGHTS

• The Solidarity Fund for Ukraine was set up in March 2022 by UICC at the request of its members, to support cancer organisations working directly with cancer patients and their families in Ukraine or neighbouring countries. 
• The Fund has received pledges of USD 1,051,658 from 15 cancer societies. To date, about 40% of the funds have been disbursed, with 25 grants awarded to 19 organisations.
• Through the funds disbursed, it has been reported to date that some 1,600 people living with cancer in Ukraine have received supportive care, 840 diagnostic cancer tests have been performed, nearly 700 cancer patients have undergone treatment, and several thousand people have been reached through online posts. 

One year has passed since Russia invaded Ukraine, resulting in over eight million refugees from Ukraine fleeing to Europe, and over four million registering for temporary protection or similar national protection schemes.  

Shortly after the invasion, UICC set up the Solidarity Fund for Ukraine in response to its members’ requests to bridge funding into the region. To date, the fund has received pledges totalling USD 1,051,658 from 15 cancer societies. 

The Solidarity Fund is administered by UICC and supports cancer organisations that work directly with cancer patients and their families in Ukraine or a neighbouring country. The Fund is open to applications from registered cancer organisations, with the same organisation able to apply for more than one project if they are on different topics and there is no overlap within the budget. Organisations can now apply for grants of up to 40,000 USD, previously capped at 20,000 USD. 

The call for applications opened on 25 April 2022 and 25 grants were awarded in 2022. These grants were awarded to 19 organisations, with 18 grants going to 13 organisations based in Ukraine, (Kyiv, Kharkiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Poltava, and Zaporizhzhia). Four grants were awarded to organisations in surrounding countries, including Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria, while three grants were awarded to organisations based in the United States, but with staff working on the funded projects in Ukraine or neighbouring region. 

The projects supported through the Solidarity Fund include the provision of diagnostic tests for breast, prostate, and ovarian cancer; the purchase of medical equipment and cancer medicines; the coordination of patients located in Ukraine, as well as the support of patients who have been displaced to surrounding countries; psychological support of cancer patients; and educational support of healthcare workers. 

As at the end of 2022, most projects are ongoing, but UICC is in regular contact with grantees throughout their projects, with some having already communicated intermediate results regarding their progress.  

These initial reports state that 1,612 people living with cancer in Ukraine have received supportive care, 840 diagnostic cancer tests were performed, nearly 700 cancer patients have undergone treatment, and several thousand people have been reached through online posts. 

Several organisations and projects supported through the Fund have been profiled on the UICC website and promoted on its social media channels. 

An overview of some of the projects:  

• The Medical centre KPD-medklinik in Kharkiv was able to shield their building with protective equipment and provide surgeries for 37 cancer patients.  
• The Ukrainian Association of Medical Physicists provided radiotherapy immobilisation devices to seven cancer centres in Ukraine.  
• The ‘Drop of Blood’ Charitable Organisation purchased reagents for PCR diagnosis of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) patients and transferred them to the laboratory that performs analyses. In November 2022, 96 patients with CML received a PCR test analysis and in May 2023, they will again be tested for free. 
• The Charitable Foundation ‘Kvitna’ provided laboratory equipment to the National Cancer Institute. 
• All-Ukrainian Charity Foundation ‘KRONA’ provided emergency assistance to the cancer departments of the National Specialized Children Hospital OKHMATDYT and The First Territorial Medical Association of Lviv. 
• The Grigoriev Institute supported more than 300 cancer patients and medical staff in Ukraine with psychological assistance. 
• Inspiration Family was able to effectively coordinate cancer care sending 54 cancer patients abroad for treatment and providing chemotherapy drugs to 46 cancer patients. 
• In Poland, the Alivia Cancer Foundation has provided information support to 2000 refugees from Ukraine and their website offering information has been visited by more than 27,000 people. 

An ongoing effort

The conflict in Ukraine has led to a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, with over 17 million people estimated to be in need of multisectoral humanitarian assistance, including 6.3 million internally displaced persons, 4.4 million returnees, and 6.9 million who have remained in their homes throughout the conflict. 

The damage to energy infrastructure has resulted in blackouts continuing in five regions, with scheduled power outages affecting heating during the cold weather period. Therefore, the Solidarity Fund's support for cancer patients is essential to help those affected by the conflict in Ukraine, especially in light of the continued humanitarian crisis. 

For this reason, the Solidarity Fund will continue to support cancer patients affected by the conflict in Ukraine as long as funds remain and cancer patients require support, even after the conflict is resolved, given the inevitable reconstruction of the Ukrainian cancer healthcare system.  

If you are part of an interested organisation, please apply here.

Learn more about the donors and grant recipients