The Politics of Environmental Health ALLOCATION OF AID FOR HEALTH INSTITUTIONS IN UKRAINE: IMPLICATIONS FROM A CASE STUDY OF CHORNOBYL (CHERNOBYL) AREA HOSPITALS Renata Konrad, Kalyna Bezchlibnyk-Butler, and Marika Dubyk Wodoslawsky Over the past two decades, numerous non-governmental organizations have sought to improve the health status of populations struggling with the lingering effects of the Chornobyl (Chernobyl) nuclear disaster. Political and economic features of Ukraine’s government produced a health system unable to provide services required by its population. To compensate somewhat for these shortcomings, Ukraine’s health institutions rely on foreign donations. However, to effectively target foreign aid efforts, a more thorough under- standing of the administration of health institutions in Ukraine is needed. This study investigates the organizational structures, care delivery, and legis- lative and financial regulations in the country’s health system and their implications for patient care. Through an exhaustive study of four repre- sentative health institutions across Ukraine, the authors identify how donor organizations can achieve their aid objectives and work within the country’s health infrastructure. The year 2006 marked 20 years since the world’s worst nuclear disaster, occur- ring in Chornobyl (Chernobyl, in transliteration from the Russian), Ukraine. This significant anniversary prompted governmental organizations and researchers to examine the ongoing health, economic, and environmental difficulties encoun- tered by affected populations. While a few studies discuss the health and economic impact on populations (e.g., 1, 2), hardly any address assistance delivery. Aid agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) worldwide support a International Journal of Health Services, Volume 39, Number 4, Pages 623–641, 2009 © 2009, Baywood Publishing Co., Inc. doi: 10.2190/HS.39.4.b http://baywood.com 623