To discuss the sizeable challenge of meeting the complex medical needs of the rare diseases patients from Ukraine, a session specially dedicated to the Ukrainian crisis was organised on Tuesday, 28th June from 11:00 to 13:00 (CET) chaired by Anastasiia Saliuk, EURORDIS- Rare Diseases Europe.

This session hosted several experts such as Dr Irina Mykycak, Deputy Minister of Health Ukraine, and Katarzyna Swieczkowska from the Polish Association For Persons with Intellectual Disability.

In order to include anyone who wished to join the conversation but may have difficulty understanding or expressing themselves in English, a live translation was provided from English to Ukrainian and vice versa.

In this session, the participants heard first-hand from patient organisations in Ukraine and Poland who are responding to the crisis on the ground as well as coordinated efforts by EURORDIS, including the first results of our Rare Barometer survey on Ukraine, and additional initiatives and provisions put in place by European Reference Networks and other humanitarian organisations.