Victor Liashko – Minister of Health of Ukraine: Complete Biography and Professional Path

Victor Liashko is one of the most well-known Ukrainian government officials in the field of healthcare. He gained wide recognition during the COVID-19 pandemic when he served as the Chief State Sanitary Doctor of Ukraine and later headed the Ministry of Health. During this time, he had to work under several major challenges simultaneously: the pandemic, full-scale war, healthcare system reform, and constant adaptation of the sector to new conditions.

On July 16, 2026, the Verkhovna Rada approved the new composition of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. In it, Victor Liashko retained the position of Minister of Health, which indicates the continuation of state policy in the field of medicine and trust in the team managing the sector during one of the most difficult periods in the country’s modern history.

Origins and Education

Victor Kyrylovych Liashko was born on April 24, 1980, in the village of Osova (Dubrovitsky district, Rivne region). He obtained his higher medical education at the O.O. Bohomolets National Medical University, graduating in 2003.

He later continued his studies at the National Academy of Public Administration under the President of Ukraine, where in 2015 he earned a master’s degree in public administration specializing in "Public Administration in the Field of Healthcare."

Simultaneously, he completed numerous international professional training programs. These included studies at the Harvard School of Public Health, the World Health Organization’s Barcelona course on strengthening health systems, programs at the University of California, San Francisco, as well as specialized courses on food safety management systems and public health.

The combination of medical education, managerial training, and international experience became the foundation of his subsequent career in public policy.

Early Career Steps

After graduating from university, Victor Liashko began working in the state sanitary-epidemiological service system of the Kyiv region. It was here that he gained his first practical experience in epidemiological surveillance, infectious disease prevention, and sanitary control organization.

Over the following years, he gradually advanced through the ranks. From 2010 to 2013, he worked at the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, progressing from chief specialist to director of one of the departments of the State Sanitary-Epidemiological Service.

In 2013, Victor Liashko headed the Kyiv Regional Laboratory Center of the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Service of Ukraine. In this position, he was responsible for organizing laboratory diagnostics, epidemiological monitoring, and ensuring the operation of the institution, which played an important role in the infectious disease control system.

Since 2014, he led the public organization "Infection Control in Ukraine." During this time, the organization implemented a grant project titled "Development and Implementation of an Optimal Model of Outpatient Treatment for Tuberculosis Patients and Their Social Support as an Effective Way to Improve Tuberculosis Treatment Outcomes in Ukraine."

From 2015 until February 2018, he was a public health consultant for the USAID project "HIV Services Reform in Action."

Work at the Public Health Center

In February 2018, Victor Liashko joined the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine as the first deputy general director. This period became one of the most important in his professional biography, as the public health system was just beginning to take shape in its modern form. The Center was responsible for epidemiological surveillance, infectious disease prevention, vaccination, health status monitoring of the population, and coordination of programs to combat socially dangerous diseases.

The experience gained during this period laid the foundation for his further work at the state level. He held this position until July 2019.

Transition to the Ministry of Health

In December 2019, Victor Liashko was appointed Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine. Within a few months, the country’s healthcare system faced one of the largest challenges in its history – the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the beginning of 2020, the Ministry of Health team developed response algorithms to the new threat, prepared hospitals to receive patients, established a laboratory diagnostics system, and ensured coordination of regional work.

Chief State Sanitary Doctor of Ukraine

In March 2020, Victor Liashko was appointed Chief State Sanitary Doctor of Ukraine. It was then that his name became known to almost every Ukrainian. He regularly held briefings, explained new quarantine rules, reported on the course of the pandemic, the introduction of restrictions, vaccination rates, and the epidemiological situation in the country. In fact, Victor Liashko became the main public representative of state policy in the fight against COVID-19.

The pandemic was one of the most challenging stages in Victor Liashko’s career, as the Ministry of Health’s decisions determined the operation of the healthcare system under emergency conditions.

Minister of Health of Ukraine

On May 20, 2021, the Verkhovna Rada supported the appointment of Victor Liashko as Minister of Health of Ukraine. In his new role, he continued to coordinate the fight against the pandemic, and after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, the Ministry of Health faced entirely different tasks. One of the main directions was ensuring the uninterrupted operation of medical institutions during the war. The Ministry coordinated the evacuation of patients from frontline regions, the restoration of damaged hospitals, and the provision of medical facilities with equipment, medicines, and humanitarian aid.

Special attention was given to the development of rehabilitation assistance for servicemen and civilians affected by hostilities. At the same time, the digitalization of the medical system continued, the electronic healthcare system was developed, and the medical guarantees program was expanded.

In July 2025, after the government was renewed, Victor Liashko was reappointed as head of the Ministry of Health.

On July 16, 2026, the Verkhovna Rada again approved him as Minister of Health of Ukraine in the new Cabinet of Ministers. Retaining the position indicates the authorities' desire to ensure continuity in healthcare management during the war and to continue the reforms already underway.

Recognition

For his contribution to the development of the healthcare system, Victor Liashko was awarded the honorary title of "Honored Doctor of Ukraine" in 2020.

Victor Liashko’s career is almost entirely connected with medicine and the public health system. From a doctor and sanitary-epidemiological service specialist, he rose to lead the entire medical sector of the country.

Retaining his position in the new government confirmed the course toward continuity of state policy in healthcare. Going forward, Victor Liashko will be responsible for restoring medical infrastructure, developing the rehabilitation system, digitalizing the sector, and continuing medical reform during the war.

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