The latest report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) to monitor the war in Ukraine has revealed that people with chronic health challenges are finding difficult to access quality health care services.
The preliminary findings from an ongoing statewide health needs survey undertaken in collaboration with WHO, disclosed that at least 1 in 3 (30 percent) of families with a chronic disease reported difficulty receiving care for those conditions.
This was contained in a statement by the WHO Communications Specialist, Ms Charity Warigon.The report revealed the catastrophic impact of the humanitarian crisis on the health and well-being of millions of civilians, as well as the serious challenges facing the Ukrainian health system.
According to the survey, two out of every five homes (39 percent) have at least one member who suffers from a chronic condition such as heart disease, diabetes, or cancer.
It stated that out of the respondents that sought out health care services recently, about 39% cited the security situation as the main reason while 27% reported that no health-care services were available at all in their area.
It further disclosed that 70% of household surveyed are sheltering in their own homes at this time, while 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.
Reacting to the development, the WHO Representative and Head of the WHO Country Office in Ukraine, Dr Jarno Habicht said, “Two months into the war, our findings show the urgent need for continued health system support in Ukraine.
Habichit said, “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 8 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 health needs and move vital supplies into affected areas, including Mariupol. Civilians have a right to health, even in times of war.”
“Ukraine’s health system is facing multiple challenges, with the situation growing more dire by the day. The risk of infectious diseases, and increasingly waterborne 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 health care continues to come under attack, with more than 160 verified incidents since February 24.”
Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe also said that, “As the health agency of the United Nations, 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.
