Lviv: At the two-month mark of the war in Ukraine, a new World Health Organization (WHO) survey illustrates the devastating impact of the humanitarian emergency on the health and wellbeing of millions of civilians, and the severe challenges facing the Ukrainian health system.
Preliminary results from an ongoing nationwide health needs assessment conducted in partnership with Premise, finds that of the 1,000 households who have responded so far, one in three (30%) that have at least one person with a chronic disease have reported challenges in accessing care for those conditions. The survey also shows that two out of five households (39%) have at least one member with a chronic illness, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes or cancer.
Less than a third (30%) of respondents sought out healthcare services recently, and of those, two out of five (39%) cited the security situation as the main reason, while 27% reported no healthcare services were available at all in their area.
Most households (70%) surveyed are sheltering in their own homes at this time, while one in ten (11%) are staying with friends and family members in relatively safer areas, 8% are on the move within Ukraine and 3% are in a shelter or camp for internally displaced people.
"Two months into the war, our findings show the urgent need for continued health systems support in Ukraine," said Dr Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative and Head of the WHO Country Office in Ukraine in a press release on Friday.
"Through our long-standing engagement with the Ministry of Health, national health institutions and our many partners and donors, WHO has been able to reach nearly 7.5 million people over the past eight weeks with life-saving supplies, equipment and medicines. But we are still unable to reach some of the hardest-hit areas in the east where the health system has all but collapsed. We have received reports for instance that nearly all health facilities and hospitals in Luhansk oblast are either damaged or destroyed, and the situation is critical in several others. It is vital that we gain access so we can assess the health needs and move vital supplies into affected areas, including Mariupol. Civilians have a right to health, even in times of war," Habicht explained.
Ukraine’s health system is facing multiple challenges, with the situation growing more dire by the day. The risk of infectious diseases, and increasingly water-borne diseases, is significant, and routine immunization including COVID-19 vaccination is greatly diminished because of the war. Access to reproductive, maternal and antenatal care, as well as mental health care, is severely impacted due to security concerns, restricted mobility, broken supply chains and mass displacement. And healthcare continues to come under attack, with more than 160 verified incidents since 24 February.
"As the UN’s health agency, WHO is in a unique position to engage in dialogue with all parties to press for, and secure, safe passage for critical health and medical supplies nationwide," explained Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.
"Through our Regional and Country Offices, we are constantly in touch with Health Minister Viktor Liashko and Ukrainian health authorities, collectively strategizing to ensure as best we can that health care providers and facilities can continue to function," he added.
Working closely with partners on the ground and through the generosity of a range of donors and funders, WHO has to date managed to deliver specialized medical and emergency supplies, deployed medical teams in hard-to-reach areas, and helped minimize disruptions to critical services, including treatment of conditions like HIV, tuberculosis and diabetes, as well as routine immunization and mental health support.
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