Deputy Minister of Health, Chief Sanitary Doctor of Ukraine Ihor Kuzin identified infectious diseases as the main threat to public health. He said this in an interview with Euractiv, reports UNN.
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“On February 24, 2022, the war broke into every Ukrainian home with shelling, and today our healthcare system is facing unprecedented challenges because of the war,” Kuzin said.
For example, access to medical care and medicines has been disrupted, more than 1,600 health care facilities have been damaged or completely destroyed, 3.5 million people are internally displaced, and the number of mental disorders and infectious diseases is growing.
We see many different health threats. Number one is the threat of infectious diseases
According to him, the most notable of these are the rising incidence of hepatitis A and intestinal infections due to poor sanitation, lack of clean water, and an acute shortage of hepatitis A vaccine.
“First, we pay special attention to vaccine-preventable diseases. Secondly, water and food security are crucial. However, in some regions and districts, you cannot use the full range of water purification, as there are problems with importing chemicals for water purification,” the Chief Sanitary Doctor of Ukraine emphasized.
Kuzin added that there are problems with zoonotic infections, such as leptospirosis, which is caused by a bacterium that is transmitted from infected animals to humans through contaminated water or soil.
The occupied eastern regions of Ukraine and areas near the front line are particularly affected by infections, he explained. In these areas, rat control is also problematic and sometimes impossible due to mined fields or constant shelling.
According to Kuzin, in order to improve the health situation, Ukraine needs to decentralize its electricity supply. Therefore, the country is installing solar panels to provide electricity to medical centers and purify drinking water.
However, as Ihor Kuzin noted, the country's medical services are providing assistance to an increasing number of patients who have suffered physical injuries and people with tumors who seek medical attention late, as in some regions it is impossible to screen for cancer.
At the same time, the rate of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, as well as alcoholism among civilians, military personnel, and military veterans, is increasing.
COVID-19 з України не зник, але є чітке зниження захворюваності – експерт26.11.24, 10:53
According to the publication, Cousin brought to the European Scientific Conference on Applied Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases (ESCAIDE 2024) a list of lessons to be learned by Sweden and other European countries. These include establishing reliable procurement channels, using digital health technologies to support and monitor patients, introducing mobile clinics, and creating strong communication between mobile units, local health centers, and hospitals.
Johan von Schreb, a Swedish surgeon and professor of global disaster medicine who worked with the WHO in Ukraine and helped the Center for Disaster Medicine in Kyiv develop classified field hospitals, told Euractiv that the main challenge for Sweden and the EU is not just to observe what needs to be done in a conflict or crisis, but to actually implement what they have learned in Ukraine.
He said this includes having a flexible healthcare system that can respond and adapt to needs, as Ukraine has done.
“Ukraine has delegated management of operational adaptation. This allows the system to function, but the lack of human and material resources and insecurity remain a major bottleneck,” says von Schreb.
He also believes that in times of conflict, decision-making in fragile health systems should be delegated to those who provide health services. The role of the central level would be to provide, for example, supplies.