Simulation as a tool for strengthening the preparedness of Ukraine’s public health system to threats: challenges and prospects
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26641/2307-0404.2026.1.356999Keywords:
public health, simulation technologies, emergency preparedness, national security, crisis response, simulation-based trainingAbstract
The public health system of Ukraine operates under a combination of military threats, intensive migration processes, transformation of the social environment, and increasing risks of biological, chemical, and technological incidents. Under these conditions, traditional educational and managerial approaches are limited in their capacity to ensure preparedness for complex crisis situations and do not allow for a comprehensive assessment of the system’s ability to respond in a coordinated manner. In response to these challenges, simulation technologies are increasingly considered as a tool that integrates workforce training with the testing of managerial decisions and intersectoral coordination in a safe environment. The aim of this study is a conceptual and analytical synthesis of contemporary approaches to the use of simulation technologies in public health and the development of an applied framework for their integration to enhance the preparedness and functional resilience of the national public health system of Ukraine to modern and combined threats. The analysis was based on peer-reviewed scientific publications, international methodological guidelines, and strategic documents retrieved from international scientific databases and official resources of leading international institutions, primarily covering the period from 2018 to 2025. The study substantiates the relevance of considering simulation technologies not only as an educational tool but as a component of ensuring systemic preparedness and functional resilience in public health. The main areas of application of simulations are systematized, including emergency response, testing of public policies, crisis communication, and intersectoral coordination. The role of medical universities as an institutional foundation for the development of simulation-based training is summarized, and key barriers to implementation are identified, including infrastructural, regulatory, and methodological constraints. Based on the analytical synthesis, strategic directions for the development of simulation technologies in the public health system of Ukraine are formulated, the implementation of which is considered a prerequisite for strengthening system preparedness for current and future threats.
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