Tuberculosis care in times of war: voices from Ukraine

In Ukraine, war is disrupting care pathways and further weakening the situation of people living with tuberculosis, HIV and other diseases. Faced with air raids, forced displacement and daily exhaustion, TB People Ukraine, with support from L’Initiative – Expertise France, is working to maintain access to diagnosis, treatment continuity and psychosocial support. This commitment is essential to preserve dignity and hope beyond healthcare. The organisation has written an op-ed, signed by Olya Klymenko, programme director at TB People Ukraine.

The war in Ukraine has changed every life. Every day, people wake up not knowing what the next hours will bring. Air raids interrupt sleep, work, treatment, and ordinary life. War exhausts people. It destroys homes and infrastructure. It forces families to move, to adapt, to survive. And yet, even in war, diseases do not disappear. Tuberculosis, HIV and other socially significant diseases become even more dangerous when life becomes unstable. Stress increases. Income disappears. Access to health care becomes harder. And behind every statistic there is a person — a mother, a child, a soldier, someone who simply wants the chance to live and recover.

TB People Ukraine was created by people who themselves went through tuberculosis, because we know that treatment is not only about medicines. It is about dignity. It is about support. It is about making sure that no one faces the disease alone.

During one of the most difficult periods in Ukraine’s history, L’Initiative – Expertise France became a partner we could truly rely on, at a time when many programs around the world were stopping or shrinking. L’Initiative chose something different. It chose continuity. It chose people. It chose solidarity. Thanks to this partnership, thousands of people in Ukraine received early diagnosis for TB and HIV. Hospitals were equipped with shelters so treatment could continue even during air raids. People undergoing TB treatment received humanitarian assistance that helped them stay on therapy during extremely difficult times. We also strengthened mental health support, because a TB diagnosis already brings fear and stigma — and in wartime, that emotional burden becomes even heavier. Through the OneImpact Ukraine system, people can now receive psychological support when they need it most. For children living with TB and their families, stability is everything. Thanks to this partnership, multidisciplinary resource rooms and psychological support spaces for children continue to operate, giving young patients not only treatment but also hope and support. We are also deeply grateful for the support of the Stop TB Partnership Challenge Facility for Civil Society, which empowers TB-affected communities and strengthens the global response to TB. We are moving forward together with L’Initiative – Expertise France.

We will continue expanding early detection, strengthening health care systems, and supporting people living with TB in the most difficult times, because timely diagnosis saves lives. But this work is about much more than health care. It is about protecting dignity. It is about preserving hope. It is about reminding people that even during the war, they are not alone. And when a child with TB smiles again, when a person completes treatment, when a family feels supported instead of overwhelmed by the situation — this is when partnership becomes something more. It is about humanity. It is about the future.

We thank L’Initiative (Expertise France) for standing with Ukraine, for your trust, and for your continuous support. Together, we prove that even in the most difficult times, life, dignity and health remain a priority — and together, we protect what matters most: people.