Ukrainian Healthcare Blog Receives National Recognition

Public health expert Pavlo Kovtoniuk from Zhytomyr, Ukraine was recognized for his outstanding collaborative blog on public health issues. The blog, which Kovtoniuk created and manages, was rated the sixth out of 30 nominees for “Best Professional Blog” at the Best Ukrainian Blog Contest 2008 in October. An active user and volunteer at his local IREX-managed internet center since the facility’s opening, Kovtoniuk created the resource to share his and others’ views on the healthcare system in Ukraine, its future development, and ways to improve it.

In 2002, suffering from a serious illness, Kovtoniuk withdrew from the Kyiv Mohyla Academy, one of the most prestigious universities in Ukraine. It was then that he realized the internet’s capacity to connect with others. He also recognized that the USAID-funded, IREX-managed Internet Access and Training Program (IATP) center in Zhytomyr was an ideal professional environment to do so. Kovtoniuk completed each course offered by IATP, and after photo-editing and web-design courses, he began developing a specialized online resource for people with similar health problems. Thanks to his ICT skills and the internet access provided by the Zhytomyr IATP Center, Kovtoniuk managed to study remotely during his yearlong leave from campus. Impressively, he managed to finish his studies and receive a master’s degree from Kyiv Mohyla’s School of Healthcare. Through IATP, IREX continues to train doctors, nurses, and public-health workers in Ukraine–including 200 in the last year alone – to combine ICT skills with traditional tasks.

Kovtoniuk’s idea was implemented after he learned about blogging technology at the IATP center. His new online resource is a collaborative effort with five co-authors who regularly post articles on healthcare issues such as healthcare management, medical innovation, the role of IT, and policy reforms. The blog links to other blogs and international websites relating to health issues. A visitor can comment on articles or publish his or her own views.

Kovtoniuk, now a healthcare management consultant, reported that, “Utilizing blogging technology allows me to implement my professional ideas in healthcare sector and communicate with other professionals on the subject. I believe blogging technology will replace resources of dubious accuracy on the internet while widening the space for people’s creativity.”

The Best Ukrainian Blog Awards 2008 nominated online resources in seven categories for the second BlogCamp Central and Eastern Europe Conference 2008, held in Kyiv in October. BlogCamp gathered 821 participants from 15 countries to discuss the new media technologies and phenomena of blogs, social networks, podcasting, internet video, and civic journalism.