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Central and eastern Europe – Russia and Ukraine in particular – is one of the most dynamically evolving regions in clinical trials. Post-Soviet countries are very attractive to foreign companies conducting clinical trials, for some of the following reasons:
- High professional standard of personnel and experience in clinical trials
- Fast recruitment of patients (the majority of them are undertreated and have no medical insurance)
- Transparent and consistent regulatory requirements
- Economic efficiency
- Social effect (due to access to diagnostics and up-to-date treatment)
The clinical trials market in Ukraine – the focus of this article – exemplifies these benefits.
There are currently 2,574 inpatient clinics and 6,842 outpatient clinics assigned to the Ministry of Health of Ukraine; the total number of beds is 404,212; the total number of doctors is 195,555 (1). Also, there are so-called ‘internal’ industry-sponsored clinics and scientific-research clinics that are assigned to the Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, where significant scientific potential is concentrated. The population of Ukraine is 46,465,691: 21,434,680 men and 25,031,011 women.
A CLOSER LOOK AT UKRAINE
According to an analysis of the data of the Medical Statistics Centre of Ukraine, morbidity is constantly increasing, due to improving diagnostics and a worsening ecological and economic situation. In 2008, general morbidity was 83,068,293 cases. The leading categories of diseases according to the ICD-10 (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems) relate to cardiovascular, respiratory and digestive systems. It should also be mentioned that 4.76 per cent of the population suffer from mental and behavioural problems, and four per cent have oncological diseases. Ukraine has a large number of qualified physicians (of whom many are English-speaking), a number of potential and acting clinical sites for conducting clinical trials, as well as a considerable pool of potential patients. However, the country’s economic situation affects the level of financing of the state healthcare system. This is the reason why almost all medical expenses are paid for by the individual. |
