Even though the following article is not dealing with the Ukraine, it at least shows the great need to help the children in the former Soviet countries.

MOSCOW, June 30 (Itar-Tass) - Up to 60 percent of children in Russia have health problems, and 35 percent have diseases that require medical treatment, Health Minister Yuri Shvchenko said.

He met with President Vladimir Putin on Monday to tell him about the results of the nationwide medical examination of children. The campaign involved 32 million children and exposed a series of health problems, with locomotor apparatus conditions topping the list of diseases, followed by gastrointestinal problems.

The minister blamed most of them on the way teaching is organized in schools.

The Health Ministry has worked out a set of measures up the year 2010 to drastically improve the situation. One of them calls for the greater involvement of medics in the teaching process.

The minister also spoke of health problems in rural areas and called for the restoration of the institute of rural doctors. However concrete results may not be expected before the year 2010, he added.

Shevchenko said the federal budget for 2004 will provide more funds for disease prevention.