Cradles of Hope

In order to curb infant mortality in Ukraine, we develop a network of neonatal centers throughout the country, with state-of-the-art medical equipment and well-trained medical staff. Thirty five “Cradles of Hope” neonatal centres have been opened by early 2025.

We strive that not a single newborn has died in Ukraine because of lack of timely, appropriate medical care and necessary equipment. While implementing nationwide project "Cradles of Hope", the Victor Pinchuk Foundation has set the following key objectives: to reduce infant mortality in the country and improve quality of lives of the saved children, and to help our country in transition to international standards for birth registration.

Continuing implementation of the program “Cradles of Hope”, in 2011 the Victor Pinchuk Foundation became a partner in the national project “New Life”. As part of this project, which focuses on opening perinatal centers throughout Ukraine, the Victor Pinchuk Foundation has committed to supply intensive care units for newborns with modern medical equipment.

Over the period of 2011-2013, in partnership with the “New Life”, the Victor Pinchuk Foundation equipped 13 neonatal centers.

In addition to equipping neonatal centers with the high quality equipment, the Victor Pinchuk Foundation systematically provides technical support to the neonatal centers (equipment repairs and provision of consumables to ensure nonstop functioning of the centers) and pays great attention to regular activities intended to give medical staff with the latest knowledge and technologies in neonatal nursing. A total of 6,050 doctors and nurses from all regions of Ukraine and 71 foreign speakers from 19 countries took part in 36 educational events organised by the Foundation as part of this project.

Over the period of 2006-2024, 838, 449 babies were born in partner hospitals, including 111,381 newborns in intensive care units. According to doctors, almost 73,405 babies were saved thanks, among other things, to the equipment installed under the Cradles of Hope project.

Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Ukraine Relief Fund, a joint philanthropic initiative of the Victor Pinchuk Foundation and the Victor Pinchuk Foundation, Eric and Wendy Schmidt and Schmidt Futures, Robert F. Smith and Vista Equity Partners, Andrew and Nicola W. Fraser, Bill Ford and the General Atlantic Foundation, has been providing medical aid to newborn babies in Ukraine. Smith and Vista Equity Partners, Andrew and Nicola Forrest's Minderoo Foundation, Bill Ford and General Atlantic Foundation, 300 units of medical equipment, other equipment and supplies worth UAH 68,1 million (including over UAH 35.7 million for the Cradles of Hope partner centres) were purchased for medical institutions providing care to newborn babies. In particular, 67 medical institutions across Ukraine received 167 newborn heating systems, and 14 institutions in the frontline regions received sets of transport incubators and transport ventilators for the safe transportation of newborns and assistance in shelters.

The Victor Pinchuk Foundation's total investment in the Cradles of Hope programme over the entire period of its existence (2006 - first half of 2025) is over UAH 160 million.

More information about Cradles of Hope as well as video of all conferences for neonatologist are available on the program’s page www.kolybeli.org