As of today, all refugees from Ukraine who stay on the territory of the Republic of Moldova can benefit from free-of charge full package of sexual and reproductive health care services similar to Moldovan population. An agreement to this effect has been signed between the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the National Health Insurance Company. This was announced by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova, Natalia Gavrilița, and the UNFPA Resident Representative, Nigina Abaszada, during a working visit to the District Hospital in Cimișlia.
The partnership agreement between UNFPA and the NHIC stipulates the coverage of reproductive health services through a special budgetary support contribution to the national compulsory health insurance Program.
The prime minister emphasized that since the start of the war in Ukraine, the Government of Moldova has focused on ensuring access to health care for refugees. The Commission for Exceptional Situations established that all refugees from Ukraine receive free emergency medical care. "Our efforts in this direction will continue, in order to offer people a wider range of medical services that they can use for free. Today we also have the support of our partners from UNFPA, who are taking over the spectrum of expenditures for reproductive health services. This means that we will be able to redirect the money from the budget for providing quality medical services to our citizens ", added the Prime Minister.
For her part, Nigina Abaszada highly appreciated the comprehensive response ensured by the Government of Moldova to the refugee crisis that guarantees uninterrupted access to essential life-saving health care services. "Women do not stop getting pregnant or having babies in a crisis or refugee situation. Their right to health and access to health services must be protected. To meet the specific needs of reproductive age refugee women, pregnant women, adolescent girls, UNFPA supports the Government of Moldova on multiple levels, so every woman and girl lives in dignity and free from violence."
According to UNFPA, the list of sexual and reproductive health services provided for free to the refugee population, as well as to the citizens of the Republic of Moldova, includes antenatal and postnatal care, skilled delivery care, including through cesarean section, gynecological investigations, pap-test for cervical cancer prevention, family planning, treatment of sexually transmitted infections, and other essential services.
"The National Medical Insurance Company has concluded contracts with medical service providers from all over the Republic of Moldova. Thus, regardless of the locality in which they reside, the refugees will benefit free of charge from the respective services at all levels of medical assistance – primary healthcare, specialized outpatient services, in hospital, etc. ", the general director of CNAM, Ion Dodon, explained.
65% of the refugee population are women, and 25,000 of them are of reproductive age. According to UNFPA estimates, 1,760 women are pregnant, and 590 of them will give birth in the next 3 months.
