Aftermath of attack on hospital in Kyiv. WHO: Damage to Ukraine’s energy system significantly increases health risks Healthcare
As Ukraine approaches its third winter of full-scale war, health must be a top priority for the government, international organizations and donors, said World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge, concluding his sixth visit to the country since early 2022.
To date, WHO has confirmed nearly 2,000 attacks on Ukraine’s health system, including hospitals, medics and patients.
Health Threats
According to Kluge, damage to the energy system significantly increases health risks. For example, power outages jeopardize the storage conditions of vaccines. In addition, disruptions to water supplies, which depend on uninterrupted electricity, can lead to an increase in water-borne and food-borne diseases. In conditions of heating and ventilation shutdowns in winter, the incidence of respiratory infections such as influenza and COVID-19 can increase.
The WHO representative recalled the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). According to him, during war, when the wounded need urgent care, concerns about drug resistance are growing due to the possible abuse of antibiotics. “There are already stories of wounds that simply do not heal as a result of AMR,” Kluge said.
WHO Efforts
To respond to threats ahead of winter, WHO and partners have stepped up efforts to install generators and other equipment in health facilities across Ukraine. Kluge also said there are now 100 laboratories monitoring drug-resistant bacteria in the country, up from just three in 2017.
A WHO official said primary health care is a priority, including in areas close to the front lines. Earlier this week, WHO opened a prefabricated modular clinic in the Odessa region. By the end of the year, it is planned to build about 40 such clinics in 6 regions of Ukraine.
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In addition, the day before, WHO, with the support of the United States Agency for International Development and the German government, transferred 23 ambulances to the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.
This will improve the timeliness and quality of medical services provided to patients in wartime conditions and strengthen the capacity of the healthcare system to respond to wartime challenges, Kluge said.
The ambulances will be distributed throughout the country, including, but not limited to, the Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Odessa, Sumy and Zaporizhia regions. Since the start of the full-scale war, WHO and its partners have donated 137 ambulances to the Ukrainian Ministry of Health.