ANNUAL REPORTOF UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS CHAPTER 1 34 To the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine: 1. To develop and adopt in accordance with the established procedure the legal acts for ensuring implementation of the Law of Ukraine “On Social Services” #2671-VIII of 17 January 2019 and to ensure control over the observance of the requirements of this Law in the manner determined by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. 2. To improve legal regulation, technical support and coordination of the activities of central and local executive authorities, local self-government bodies on guardianship and custody of incapacitated adults and persons whose civil capacity is limited , and their social protection. 3. To improve organization of work on the provision of subsidies to cover the costs of housing and utility services, liquefied gas, solid and liquid household fuel, compensation for additional costs for utilities given the increased prices and rates for services. To local self-government bodies – to take measures to ensure the implementation of their own and delegated powers in the field of social protection of the population, in particular in the provision of social services, organization of social protection of homeless persons and persons released from prisons, their re-socialization, privileged transportation for the burial of certain categories of persons. To local state administrations – to ensure proper guardianship and custody services and strengthen the oversight of the guardians’ activities. 1.2. Right to healthcare In 2019, the Commissioner received 918 reports on violations of the rights of citizens to healthcare, including on financing the treatment of patients suffering from rare/orphan diseases, elimination of wage arrears to health professionals, providing treatment for citizens abroad. Insufficient funding of healthcare violates the health care guarantees Monitoring the implementation of citizens’ rights in the health sector shows that underfunding leads to violations of citizens’ rights to receive adequate healthcare, as well as breaches of labour guarantees for health professionals, in particular, wage arrears to them. The amount of medical subventions for all types of healthcare (except for primary health care) in 2019 was forecasted at the level of UAH 55.5 billion, which is UAH 1.9 billion less than in 2018 (UAH 57.4 billion)14 (see Annex 1.4). Out of total estimated GDP (UAH 3946,9 Billion), health expenditures were reduced to 3.1% in 2019 compared to 3.5% of GDP in 2018. Not only it does not meet the WHO recommendations, but also the requirements of part five of Article 4 of the Law of Ukraine “On State Financial Guarantees of Public Health Services” # 2168-VIII of 19 October 2017 stipulating that the expenditures for implementation of the programme of medical guarantees should amount to at least 5% of GDP. Thus, in 2019, government expenditures on healthcare actually decreased. 14