The Cost of Corruption: Ukrainian Households Spend 3.5 Billion Hryvnas in Bribes, Which Is Enough to Build 6 Ultra-Modern “Children’s Hospitals of the Future”

February 21, 2008. According to a recent survey, 13.1% of Ukrainian households paid bribes to public officials over the last 12 months.  The average amount of payments per bribe-paying household equaled 1,336 hryvnas in 2007, totaling 3.5 billion hryvnas (equivalent of $700 million) for Ukraine nationwide.   If these illicit funds had been used to pay for positive public projects, they would cover: • The cost of 8,270 new modern ambulance cars.  Every single city in Ukraine could receive 18 new ambulance cars, thereby substantially decreasing the response time for accidents and patient care, saving countless lives.   • The cost of 233 mammography machines for breast cancer screening.  There would be enough funds to supply one out of two rural district hospitals with this vital equipment.  It would enable every Ukrainian woman over 40 years old to undergo annual screening free of charge.   • The cost of providing 70 secondary schools with modern computer technology.  A new school for every sixth town of Ukraine could be built.  These new schools could provide a competitive education for 70,000 young Ukrainians.   • The cost of insulin to supply all Ukrainian diabetes patients (140,000 citizens) for the next 20 years free of charge.   • The cost of financing a 13-fold increase in annual state spending for cancer treatment.  Currently 278 hryvnas, equivalent of $55 is spent per patient.   • The cost of 6 ultra-modern “Children’s Hospitals of the Future” that Ukraine’s charitable organizations have been hoping to build.   Survey methodology and sample size: Face to face interviews were conducted with 2,032 citizens between December 7-16, 2007.  All participants were older than 18 and resided in a representative sampling of rural areas, towns and cities from all regions of Ukraine. Information about the ACTION Project: The ACTION Project is being implemented by Management Systems International (MSI) in partnership with Ukrainian organizations and with the financial support of the US Agency for International Development.  The Project is a two-year activity that supports non-governmental monitoring and advocacy on priority areas in combating corruption, focusing particularly on issues identified by the Government of Ukraine in its Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Threshold Country Plan.