Poland
Helping Ukrainian refugees access primary and mental health care
The Context
More than 17 million Ukrainian refugees have crossed into Poland since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Today, more than 950,000 Ukrainians are living in Poland, almost all of whom are women and children — an increase in population that has put pressure on Poland’s health system to expand services. Though the primary and mental health care needs among refugees are high, there are many barriers to care, including language barriers, cost, and transportation.
17.2 million
Ukrainian refugees have crossed into Poland
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has had a profound impact on Poland, which has seen the highest number of border crossings in Europe.
956,000
Ukrainian refugees remain in Poland
The number of Ukrainian refugees in Poland is larger than the population of Kraków and would be the second-most populous city in the country.
80%
of Ukrainian refugees are women or children
Nearly half of Ukrainian refugees are women and one-third are children, which brings an increased risk of gender-based violence, abuse, and exploitation.
Our Impact
Supporting University Children’s Hospital in Kraków
To respond to the urgent health needs of Ukrainian refugees in Poland, Project HOPE’s emergency response team reactivated its long-standing relationship with University Children Hospital (UCH) in Kraków by supporting the establishment of a Ukrainian children’s ward and additional mental health programming. To date, UCH has seen and treated 5,660 children from Ukrainian refugee families through oncology and hematology; general surgery and emergencies; treatment in physiotherapy; and outpatient/consultation visits. In addition to the grant, Project HOPE purchased $98,000 worth of medical equipment for UCH.
Establishing a Safe Space for Children in Rzeszów
Project HOPE has been providing mental health support for Ukrainian refugees, specifically women and children in Rzeszów, through its local partner, Podkarpackie Stowarzyszenie dla Aktywnych Rodzin (PSAR). PSAR’s TUTU Center — a safe space for Ukrainian and Polish children to come together for play, art therapy, and social activities — has provided mental health assistance to 6,741 Ukrainian refugees and local community members since its establishment in 2022.
Expanding Access to Mental Health Services
Project HOPE supported Zustricz Foundation, an all-Ukrainian women local organization in Kraków, to open a psychological support center for refugees and migrants in Kraków and surrounding areas. The center opened in October 2022 and has provided mental health assistance to 11,112 Ukrainian refugees. With Project HOPE’s support, Zustricz Foundation also hosted a mental health and psychosocial summer camp with recreational activities for Ukrainian refugees, migrants, and parents.
Providing Physical Therapy and Social Services
Project HOPE supported Fundacja Dstępny Świat (Accessible World Foundation), a local organization based in Krakow, to open the SANUS Medical Center to provide physiotherapy, rehabilitation, and psychological support to Ukrainian refugees with disabilities, reaching total of 1,689 Ukrainian refugees living with disabilities.
Our History in Poland
In 1974, Project HOPE was invited to assist the Polish-American Children’s Hospital (PACH) — now University Children’s Hospital of Krakow — to create education programs for health professionals serving the hospital, making it our longest-running relationship with a hospital in the world. We later completed a medical research facility adjacent to the hospital (1975), a 240-bed rehabilitation center (1988), a 16-bed center for newborns with an intensive care unit for premature infants (1990), and the Clement J. Zablocki Ambulatory Care Center (1996).
In 1996, we began the Managers for Reform of Polish Healthcare Program to support strategic planning, human resources, financial and operations management, health policy, and more. In 1998, we implemented a breast cancer awareness campaign for physicians, nurses, educators, psychologists, social workers, and breast cancer survivors. In 1999, Project HOPE began a multidisciplinary care of the special child and family program, training health workers who work with children with disabilities and their families and trained gastroenterology specialists to support the development of a Pediatric Gastroenterology Clinic. In 2009, Project HOPE launched a program for children with cancer to improve treatment outcomes.
In Poland, Project HOPE operates through our subsidiary Project HOPE Polska.
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