Abstract
<jats:p>The aim of the article is to examine the fulfillment of national interests as a foundation for strengthening national security in Ukraine’s healthcare sector, based on an analysis of the state of the sector and its capacity to counter threats. The article considers the role of the healthcare sector in enhancing national security through the prism of safeguarding the State, societal (public), and private interests in healthcare. The meanings of the concepts of «national security» and «national interests» are presented in the context of their definition from the perspective of the protective approach outlined in the Law of Ukraine «On National Security of Ukraine» dated June 21, 2018, No. 2469-VIII. It is shown that the State’s ability to fulfill national interests and ensure national security depends on the current state of the healthcare sector. This created the need for its analytical assessment, the results of which provided grounds to conclude that, overall, the State, societal, and private interests in this area are observed; however, the level of such compliance cannot be considered satisfactory. The state of the healthcare sector in Ukraine is explained from a protective approach perspective, according to which this sector is affected by various threats, and the results of the analysis of their interconnections and interdependencies are presented in the article. A major threat to the healthcare sector in Ukraine, which required more detailed examination, is recognized as the unfinished nature of medical reform, its partial and fragmented implementation due to both objective and subjective reasons. The distinctive features of medical reform in Ukraine, the content of its planned stages, and their outcomes are considered. Based on the results of the study, it was concluded that, in general, the State, societal, and private interests in Ukraine’s healthcare sector are being respected; however, the level of their observance cannot be considered satisfactory, which only partially contributes to maintaining national security.</jats:p>