The EU Temporary Protection Directive is set to expire on 4 March 2027. What happens next will depend on the decisions that EU institutions and member states make, or fail to make, in the months ahead. We are calling on them to act now, while there is still time to plan, coordinate, and protect the people who need it most.
People living with HIV, tuberculosis, hepatitis, dependencies, and other chronic conditions cannot afford a gap in treatment. Interrupted antiretroviral therapy causes viral rebound and drug resistance. Cutting off opioid agonist treatment leads to withdrawal, overdose, and increased HIV transmission. We have seen what happens when these treatments are stopped without warning. It must not happen in the EU.
We are calling on EU institutions and member states to provide Ukrainian refugees and their communities with a clear plan: guaranteed continuity of treatment for chronic and communicable conditions, binding minimum health standards across all member states, pathways into national health insurance systems for long-staying refugees, sustained funding for community-led organisations, and formalised cross-border health coordination with Ukraine.
Ukrainian refugees, their families, and the organisations supporting them deserve clarity, not uncertainty. They need to know that their treatment will continue, that the systems caring for them will not disappear overnight, and that Europe’s commitment to their health was never temporary!
Join the campaign. Sign the joint statement. Spread the word.
#HealthBeyondMarch2027
Organizing committee of the #HealthBeyondMarch2027 campaign:
Daniel Kashnitsky, Cermes3 – Centre for research on medicine, science, health, and society, France
Ganna Dovbakh, Eurasian Harm Reduction Association, Lithuania
Inna Gavrylova, Alliance for Public Health, Ukraine
