75% of Ukrainians with rare diseases remain in Ukraine despite the war, while 25% are abroad. On the International Day of Rare Diseases, which is celebrated in the last days of February, Kiev will talk about support for orphan patients and look for a solution on how to create equal European conditions of support and treatment for patients with rare diseases in conditions of full-scale war.
On Tuesday, February 27, Kiev will host a panel discussion with 40 experts. The discussion will be attended by representatives of Eurordis, European Parliament, ERN, European doctors and patient communities, representatives of the Ukrainian authorities, Ministry of Health, NHSU, State Enterprise “Medical Procurement of Ukraine”, representatives of health departments and administrations from the regions, representatives of manufacturers of innovative medicines, expert doctors in orthopaedic areas and representatives of public organizations.
The discussion will be webcast in two languages: Ukrainian and English.
Venue: Hyatt Regency (5 Alla Tarasova Street, Kyiv).
Moderators of the event: Elena Filinyuk (SAFEMed) and Tetyana Kulesha (OS “Orphan diseases of Ukraine”).
The discussion will start at 10:00
“We realize that in the conditions of a big war it is difficult to talk about support for certain groups of the population. But in Ukraine there are orthane patients who are fighting, there are patients who are volunteering, there are relatives of patients who are volunteering or have gone to the front. Orphan patients have to live in a double war: for the life of the country, and for their own, – says the chairman of the OS “Orphan diseases of Ukraine” Tetyana Kulesha, – In addition, patients who are now abroad, started to receive therapy there, they will not return home, where there is no such treatment”.
During the public discussion they plan to touch upon such issues as:
– priorities of the state policy on providing Ukrainian orphan patients with treatment,
– the possibility to receive care through NHS packages,
– introduction of mobile palliative care,
– access to the latest medicines and therapies,
– European experience useful for Ukrainian orphan centers, for orphan doctors and many other issues.
At the end of the day at 18:00 two landmark buildings in Kiev – Okhmatdet NDSB and St. Nicholas Church – will be illuminated with colored lights, which has already become a tradition of Rare Diseases Day celebrations. In this way, the organizers want to remind a wide range of people about the need for treatment and support for orphan patients.
99% of gambling addicts put themselves on the “black list”
The number of gambling addicts is growing from year to year. Currently, Ukraine has a register of problem gamblers – people who are restricted from accessing gambling facilities and participating in gambling. According to the Commission for Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries (CRGL), 3,871 people have been included in the list over the three years of its existence. The vast majority – 87% of them – were added to the list in 2023.
3.7 thousand people are on the Register of Gambling Problems as of the beginning of 2024.
Since its inception, 3871 people have been included in the list. The vast majority – 87% of them – were included in the list in 2023. Over the past year, the number of gambling addicts on the list has increased 8 times.
Over the past two years, 171 people have been excluded from the Register due to the expiration of the restrictions. Of these, 60 people were excluded in 2022, and another 111 – last year.
99% of the individuals were included in the Register at their own request for self-restriction. Only 1% were included in the Register by the decision of the HQCJ. At the same time, no one was included in the Register by a court decision.
Context.
Currently, Ukrainians can be included in the Registry of Gambling Addicts in three cases: by applying for self-restriction on their own, by a decision of the CRAIL based on a request for restriction from relatives, and by a court decision. Thus, Ukraine does not have clear statistics on the actual number of citizens with gambling addiction, and the figures from the relevant register do not reflect the full picture.
It is important to note that only temporary bans on visiting gambling facilities are provided for gambling addicts in Ukraine – for a period of six months to three years. Upon expiration, these restrictions are automatically terminated.
It is also worth noting that in December 2023, Law 9422 was adopted, which prohibits the issuance of loans to gambling addicts included in the Register. However, this restriction is valid only if the list indicates that the person used credit funds for gambling.
The head of the National Commission for State Regulation in the Spheres of Energy and Public Utilities (NKREKU), Konstantin Ushchapovskyy, has resigned as its head.
“Yesterday (February 22 – ER) ended the last day of my powers as head of NKREKU. And soon, together with colleagues, by secret ballot, we will elect a new head of the regulator,” he wrote in his Facebook.
As the NKREKU noted on its Facebook on Friday, Ushchapovskyi has been a current member of the regulator since today (February 23 – ER).
In the post, Ushchapovsky added that in his position as a member of the NKREKU will continue to work on the implementation of solutions necessary to stabilize the market, its further development and integration into the EU, calling the critical issue of resolving the debt crisis on it.
He pointed out that the regulator and the Ministry of Energy have already developed a list of necessary regulations and measures that should be implemented in the near future.
According to the law on the NKREKU, the head of the Commission is elected by its members by secret ballot for a period of two years. One and the same person cannot be elected chairman for two consecutive terms. In case of expiration of the term for which the chairman of the NKREKU was elected or early termination of his powers, the vote to elect a new head shall be held within 10 days from the date of termination of these powers.
As explained to Energoreforma in the NKREKU, until its head is elected, the Commission cannot hold meetings, as only he has the authority to sign the agendas of meetings and adopted resolutions and orders.
As reported, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky on July 1, 2020 approved the scheme of rotation of members of the NKREKU until 2025. According to the decree No. 258, the first (until July 1, 2020) rotation applies to the commission member Olena Antonova, who challenged her dismissal in court. She is followed by Krivenko’s rotation (until July 1, 2021), then Oleksiy Magda (until July 1, 2023), then Olga Babiy and Dmytro Kovalenko (until July 1, 2024), and after that Ruslan Kaidash and Valeriy Tarasyuk (until July 1, 2025).
The competition is announced three months before the end of the term of office of one or another member of the regulator. The competition committee should select two candidates for consideration and approval by the government.
At the end of May 2023, the competitive commission for the selection of candidates to the NKREKU elected two candidates for the position of a member of the regulator in the person of Oleksandr Kosyanchuk and Mikhail Bno-Ayriyan.
The government is still undecided on the choice.
Meanwhile, Mykhailo Bno-Ayriyan became the head of the European Integration Committee of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine (FEU) in August 2023.
Thus, one seat is vacant in the Commission. Apart from Kostyantyn Ushchapovskyy, it includes Olha Babiy, Dmytro Kovalenko, Ruslan Kaidash, Valeriy Tarasyuk and Oleksandr Formagyi.
Wind gusts of 15-20 m/s on Friday and Saturday afternoon in Kiev and in the region, the I level of danger, yellow, has been declared, Ukrhydrometcenter reports.
On Saturday, February 24, in the capital and in the region of variable cloudiness, without precipitation, wind southeast, 7-12 m/s, in the afternoon gusts of 15-20 m/s. The temperature in the region is 2-7° warm at night and 8-13° during the day, in Kiev – 5-7° warm at night and 10-12° during the day.
On Sunday and Monday, February 25-26, in Kiev region and the capital is cloudy with clearings, no precipitation, wind southeast, 7-12 m/s.
Temperatures in the region at night 1-6° warm, in the afternoon 5-10°, in Kiev – at night 3-5° warm, in the afternoon 7-9°.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, February 27-28, in the region and the capital without precipitation. The temperature in Kiev at night about 0°, in the daytime 5-7° warm, in the region – at night from 2° warm to 3° frost, in the daytime 3-8° warm.
In Kyiv, the Experts Club training center in collaboration with Art Gallery Universe has launched a unique art therapy program aimed at helping people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As part of this initiative, an exhibition titled “Restoring Life: Art and Rehabilitation Project” was organized, where prominent Ukrainian artists such as Igor Moshkov and E-Ludmyla Svitla presented their works reflecting their personal experience of struggling with and rethinking the emotional states caused by PTSD.
Maksim Urakin, the initiator of Experts Club, emphasized the importance of the exhibition as an art therapy method for the correction of stressful conditions, including PTSD, especially in the context of the current challenges faced by many Ukrainians.
“This exhibition is more than art. It is an opportunity for visitors to experience healing and hope through painting, because the psycho-emotional state of many Ukrainians now needs support in the context of war and constant exposure to traumatic factors,” he said.
Lyudmyla Svitla, founder of Art Gallery Universe, shared her goal to encourage self-discovery and self-expression through art, considering it the key to inner peace.
Visitors of the exhibition shared their impressions, noting the deep emotional perception and personal meaning of each art object. The Restoring Life project highlights art not just as a means of aesthetic pleasure, but as an effective tool for spiritual healing and stress management.
Art therapy plays an important role in the treatment of PTSD and other stress-related disorders, as it allows individuals to express their feelings and experiences through art, which is often inaccessible through words. This form of psychotherapy helps reduce anxiety and stress, improves mood, and promotes emotional recovery. The inclusion of art therapy in rehabilitation programs for people with PTSD and other stress-related disorders can significantly increase their effectiveness by providing a unique approach to treatment and self-expression.
In January of this year, Ukrainian steelmakers increased steel production by 91.5% compared to the same period in 2022, up to 544 thousand tons from 284 thousand tons, and by 4.6% compared to the previous month, when 520 thousand tons were smelted.
At the same time, Ukraine retained its 21st place in the ranking of 71 countries that are global producers of these products compiled by the World Steel Association (Worldsteel).
According to Worldsteel, in December 2023, steel production increased compared to January 2023 in most of the top ten countries, except for China, the United States, Germany and Brazil.
The top ten steel producing countries in January are as follows: China (77.240 million tons, down 6.9% by January 2023), India (12.514 million tons, up 7.3%), Japan (7.266 million tons, up 0.6%), the United States (6.801 million tons, down 0.3%), and the Russian Federation (6.240 million tons, up 1.2%), South Korea (5.711 million tons, up 1.5%), Turkey (3.247 million tons, up 24.7%), Germany (2.9 million tons, down 0.9%), Iran (2.603 million tons, up 39.3%) and Brazil (2.520 million tons, down 7.2%).
Overall, in January 2024, steel production decreased by 1.6% compared to the same period in 2023 to 148.108 million tons.
As reported, in December 2023, Ukraine increased steel production by 4.9 times compared to the same period in 2022, up to 520 thousand tons from 106 thousand tons, but decreased by 4.8% compared to the previous month, when 546 thousand tons were smelted. The top ten steel producing countries in December were as follows: China (67.440 million tons, down 14.9% by December 2022), India (12.141 million tons, + 9.5%), Japan (6.980 million tons, +1.1%), the United States (6.813 million tons, +7.6%), the Russian Federation (6 million tons, +4.3%), South Korea (5.375 million tons, +2.7%), Turkey (3.224 million tons, +21.2%), Iran (2.872 million tons, +12.1%), Germany (2.631 million tons, -2.3%) and Brazil (2.523 million tons, +0.9%).
Overall, in December 2023, steel production decreased by 5.3% compared to the same period in 2022 to 135.666 million tons.
In 2023, the top ten steel-producing countries are as follows: China (1 billion 19.080 million tons at the level of the previous year), India (140.171 million tons, +11.8%), Japan (86.996 million tons, -2.5%), the United States (80.664 million tons, +0.2%), the Russian Federation (75.8 million tons, +5, 6%), South Korea (66.676 million tons, +1.3%), Germany (35.438 million tons, -3.9%), Turkey (33.714 million tons, -4%), Brazil (31.869 million tons, -6.5%) and Iran (31.139 million tons, +1.8%).
In total, 71 countries produced 1 billion 849.734 million tons of steel in 2023, which is 0.1% less than in 2022.
At the same time, Ukraine produced 6.228 million tons of steel in 2023, which is 0.6% lower than in 2022. The country was ranked 22nd in 2023.
In 2022, the top ten steel producing countries were as follows: China (1.013 billion tons, -2.1%), India (124.720 million tons, +5.5%), Japan (89.235 million tons, -7.4%), the United States (80.715 million tons, -5.9%), the Russian Federation (71.5 million tons, -7.2%), South Korea (65, 865 million tons, -6.5%), Germany (36.849 million tons, -8.4%), Turkey (35.134 million tons, -12.9%), Brazil (33.972 million tons, -5.8%) and Iran (30.593 million tons, +8%).
Ukraine ranked 23rd in 2022 with 6.263 million tons of steel produced (-70.7%).
In total, 64 countries produced 1 billion 831.467 million tons of steel in 2022, which is 4.3% less than in 2021.
