Health Tracker survey is an updated monitoring of the health needs of the adult population of Ukraine. The study continues the cooperation between Rating Group and the World Health Organization (WHO), launched in 2022. The second round of Health Tracker was conducted in March–April 2026.

Since 2022, Rating Group and WHO have regularly studied how the full-scale war affects Ukrainians’ access to health-care services and medicines, as well as population health. Health Tracker builds on the previous monitoring project, “Assessment of the Health Needs of the Adult Population of Ukraine”: it is a serial quantitative study with a modular questionnaire that makes it possible to track changes in the health sector during the protracted war. WHO conducts the analysis based on survey data collected by Rating Group.

The second round shows that access to essential health services in Ukraine remains broadly functional. Almost all respondents have access to a family doctor (96%), most have a signed declaration with a family doctor (92%), and most of those who sought primary health care received the services they needed either fully or partially. At the same time, mental health, the affordability of medicines and treatment, and disparities affecting internally displaced persons (IDPs) and residents of the most affected oblasts remain among the most prominent challenges.

Mental health and the impact of the war

• Three quarters of respondents (76%) reported mental health difficulties during the previous 12 months. The most common were anxiety, constant worry or difficulty relaxing (67%), low mood, trouble sleeping, poor appetite or difficulty concentrating (65%), and high levels of stress (58%).
• Among respondents who experienced mental health difficulties, a majority (70%) reported significant stress or other mental health problems during the previous two months. More than half (52%) said these difficulties interfered with their normal activities at home or work, or with interacting with other people.
• IDPs were more likely to report mental health difficulties than people residing in their home communities (80% vs 75%). IDPs also more often reported stress (64% vs 57%), low mood (70% vs 65%) and anxiety (73% vs 66%).
• In the most affected oblasts, 80% of respondents also reported mental health difficulties. Significant psychological distress during the previous two months was reported by 76%, compared with 67% in other regions.
• Among those who sought help, most received the support they needed: 87% from family doctors, 91% from mental health specialists and 83% from non-medical specialists.

Family doctors and primary health care

• Almost all respondents have access to a family doctor (96%). In-person access was reported by 88%, access by phone by 81%, via online messaging tools by 34% and via online calls by 24%.
• Most respondents have a signed declaration with a family doctor (92%), while 73% visited a family doctor during the previous 12 months.
• Nearly one in four IDPs (24%) changed their family doctor during the previous year, compared with 13% of people residing in their home communities. IDPs were also more likely to report having no access to a family doctor (8% vs 3%) and not having a signed declaration (9% vs 4%).
• Among those who needed primary health-care services and sought care, 74% received all the services they needed and a further 23% received them partially.
• The most common problems in accessing primary health care were the cost of medicines (48%), the cost of treatment (28%), transport costs (22%) and the time needed to access services (20%).

Specialized care, diabetes and rehabilitation

Beyond primary care, gaps in the completeness and continuity of care become more visible, particularly for some vulnerable groups.

• More than one third of respondents (37%) reported needing specialized health-care services. Among them, 84% sought such care, 66% received all the services they needed, 28% received them partially and 6% were unable to receive them.
• Health-care services for diabetes were needed by 9% of respondents. Among those who sought such care, 70% received all the services they needed, 23% received them partially and 4% were unable to receive them.
• IDPs were substantially less likely to receive all the diabetes-related services they needed: 48% compared with 73% among people residing in their home communities. At the same time, 42% of IDPs received services only partially, compared with 21% among non-displaced respondents.
• Rehabilitation services were needed by 13% of respondents. Among those who sought rehabilitation care, 61% received all the services they needed, 28% received them partially and 11% were unable to receive them.
• Among those who sought rehabilitation services, 70% faced access problems. The most common were the cost of medicines (41%), the cost of treatment (37%), transport costs (27%) and the time needed to access services (27%).

Medicines and the Affordable Medicines Program

Access to medicines remains one of the most sensitive aspects of health care: affordability is the main barrier, while security-related constraints add further pressure in the most affected oblasts.

• More than two thirds of respondents (69%) needed medicines. Among them, 89% encountered problems obtaining medicines and 11% were unable to obtain the medicines they needed.
• The most common problem was an increase in medicine prices (81%). Respondents also reported not having enough money to buy medicines (36%), medicines not being available at the pharmacy (24%) and having no pharmacy nearby (20%).
• In the most affected oblasts, security-related constraints on obtaining medicines were reported much more often than in other regions (23% vs 5%). Financial difficulties in affording medicines were also more common there (42% vs 34%).
• Most respondents who needed medicines were aware of the Affordable Medicines Program (68%). Among those aware of the programme, 28% received medicines under it, 7% tried but were unable to do so, while 60% had no need to use it.
• Among those who could not receive medicines under the programme, the most common reason was that the medicine they needed was not yet covered by the programme (43%).

Expenditures and postponed health care

Financial and everyday barriers continue to affect whether people seek health care in a timely manner.

• More than one quarter of respondents (27%) postponed health care.
• Among those who postponed care, respondents most often said they knew how to treat the condition from previous experience (83%) or expected it to resolve on its own (69%). Nearly two in five (39%) cited the high cost of services, medicines or transport, while 37% mentioned long queues in hospitals.
• One third of households (33%) had expenses related to health-care services during the previous month.
• Among households with an income, 34% reported that health-care and medicine expenditures accounted for less than 10% of household income, 26% said they accounted for 10–25%, and 14% reported spending 26–50%.

Impact of winter conditions

A separate thematic block in the second round examined how winter conditions affected everyday life, health and access to health care.

• More than four in five households (82%) reported that winter conditions affected their daily routines.
• The most common difficulties were disruptions to electricity supply (87%), increased household expenses for heating, electricity or fuel (77%) and difficulty keeping the home warm (52%).
• More than one third of respondents (35%) reported that winter conditions led to health problems. The most common were respiratory or cold-related illnesses (92%), worsening of chronic diseases (55%) and mental stress or anxiety related to winter conditions (51%).
• One in ten respondents (10%) reported being unable to access health care because of winter conditions.

Rating Group is one of Ukraine’s largest research institutions and has been operating since 2008. The company is registered in Ukraine and has extensive experience conducting sociological surveys in Ukraine and abroad. The group includes Sociological Group Rating, the Rating Lab research laboratory, the Rating Online platform and Rating CATI Center.