WHO Responds to Growing Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine

March 3, 2022 — The World Health Organization has referred to as on top-level officers concerned within the Russian invasion of Ukraine to make sure entry for supply of important medical, surgical, and trauma provides to assist the Ukrainian individuals and refugees in neighboring nations.

A scarcity of oxygen, insulin, most cancers therapies, and different important provides will proceed to develop extra dire within the weeks and months forward, WHO officers predicted Wednesday. Setting up a safe “corridor” to get these provides into Ukraine is required, notably as pre-positioned provides positioned in 23 hospitals across the nation stay largely out of attain in the meanwhile.

The COVID-19 pandemic is making the scenario more difficult. Many cities in Ukraine are remoted, and so are their hospitals. At the identical time, an estimated 65% of the inhabitants in Kyiv is absolutely vaccinated, however the charge varies significantly, right down to solely 20% of individuals in cities of Donetsk and Luhansk.

Add to that an estimated 1 million individuals who already fled Ukraine into neighboring nations, doubtlessly spreading the coronavirus as they transfer or discover themselves in crowded conditions. The scenario inside and round Ukraine means coronavirus transmission is more likely to rise, WHO officers stated throughout a media briefing.

“WHO is deeply involved by the unfolding humanitarian emergency in Ukraine,” stated WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD.

The first cargo of trauma kits and different provides is scheduled to depart Dubai within the United Arab Emirates and land in Poland on March 3. On the airplane shall be 6 metric tons of provides for trauma care and emergency surgical procedure to satisfy the wants of 100,000 sufferers, in addition to sufficient normal well being provides to assist 150,000 extra.

In addition to five.2 million in U.S. {dollars} launched from contingency funding to date, the WHO plans on spending one other $45 million in Ukraine and $12.5 million in neighboring nations supporting the refugees over the subsequent 3 months.

Attacks on Health Care Workers

“We are additionally deeply involved about studies of assaults on well being amenities and well being employees,” Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated. “We have acquired a number of unconfirmed studies of assaults on hospitals and well being infrastructure, and one confirmed incident final week through which a hospital got here underneath heavy weapons assault, killing 4 individuals and injuring 10, together with six well being employees.”

“In the previous few days, my primary discussions with the [Ukrainian] minister of well being is how to make sure that well being care employees are protected … the well being care employees who’ve gone by way of final 2 years treating COVID,” stated Jarno Habicht, MD, from the WHO Head of Country Office in Ukraine.

“Many of them with whom I talked yesterday are working from the shelters or have repurposed their hospitals,” he stated.

International legislation protects entry to well being care throughout occasions of battle, Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated. “The sanctity and neutrality of well being care, together with of well being employees, sufferers, provides, transport, and amenities, and the appropriate to protected entry to care should be revered and guarded.”

Supporting Ukraine’s Health System

The WHO’s main objective now could be to maintain and protect the well being system so it could serve the individuals of Ukraine, stated Michael Ryan, MD, government director for the WHO Health Emergencies Program. “We will do every little thing in our energy to make that occur.”

The WHO engaged in mass casualty administration and main surgical coaching in hospitals throughout Ukraine within the months earlier than the army battle.

“WHO will not be going into Ukraine. We have all the time been in Ukraine,” Ryan stated. “We’ve been in Ukraine for years, working with the federal government on the well being system.”

But the WHO can’t assist the well being system except it could herald provides and distribute the provides already within the nation, he stated.

“Right now, within the chaos of what is occurring there, it is very onerous to see how that may be achieved within the coming days,” Ryan stated. “The tragedy unfolding for the individuals of Ukraine is so avoidable and so pointless.”

Don’t Forget the People Behind the Numbers

Many WHO officers are used to addressing humanitarian crises throughout conflicts, Ryan stated. “Some of us have been on this a very long time and developed very thick skins. But once you see nurses mechanically ventilating infants within the basements of hospitals, even the hardest of us have struggled to observe this.”

And it’s onerous to hold adults receiving intensive care right down to a basement. “So many sufferers within the ICU are being cared for by medical doctors and nurses whereas the bombs fall round them,” he stated.

Throughout the battle, it is going to be vital to not simply communicate when it comes to provides, Ryan stated. “This is individuals’s our bodies and other people’s bones which were damaged. People’s lives are being misplaced, and there is not a well being service out there to ship lifesaving care. So one thing’s acquired to alter.”

There is just one easy reply, stated Bruce Aylward, MD, senior adviser to the WHO director-general.

“What can we do about it? Number one: Stop the battle,” he stated.

“Second factor you do because it unfolds is you defend your well being care system. You’ve acquired to guard providers. The third factor that’s you try to prioritize your vaccinations to your susceptible individuals, together with to your well being care employees,” he stated.

COVID-19 Concerns Grow

Just earlier than the battle, Ukraine had a surge of circumstances of COVID-19, Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated.

“There is more likely to be vital undetected transmission, coupled with low vaccination protection, that will increase the chance of enormous numbers of individuals creating extreme illness,” he stated.

And it isn’t only a concern inside Ukraine.

“Anytime you disrupt a society like this and put actually thousands and thousands of individuals on the transfer, infectious illnesses will exploit that,” Ryan stated.

Refugees are extremely susceptible to an infection, he stated, as a result of they are not consuming or sleeping correctly, and they’re packed collectively.

This will increase their threat for an infection and the chance that an infection will unfold.

“A gentle variant may very well be a really completely different expertise for somebody who’s in that scenario,” Ryan stated, including that refugees must be provided correct vaccination.

The WHO is engaged on offering antivirals to individuals within the area.

“This could also be one scenario the place the out there therapeutics could also be extra lifesaving than in different conditions,” Ryan stated. “We’ve been prioritizing Ukraine during the last 48 to 72 hours for additional provides of therapeutics for COVID-19, together with the newer antivirals.”

Not Enough Oxygen

A scarcity of oxygen will make it more durable to deal with sufferers with COVID-19 and lots of different situations. Part of the scarcity stems from closure of three main oxygen vegetation in Ukraine.

In addition, “it is tough to search out drivers who’re prepared to drive and to deliver oxygen from among the factories, which nonetheless have reserves,” Habicht stated.

An estimated 2,000 individuals in Ukraine depend on oxygen remedy.

“That’s 2,000 folks that want oxygen to outlive,” Ryan stated. That quantity is more likely to enhance “as a result of we have now individuals with accidents, individuals present process surgical procedure, along with the youngsters with pneumonia and girls having difficulties throughout labor.”

“And you want it once you want it,” he continued. “You cannot wait until tomorrow for oxygen. You cannot wait until subsequent week. You cannot be placed on a ready checklist for oxygen.”

Without sufficient oxygen or different lifesaving provides, individuals will die needlessly, Ryan stated.

“In these territories, the place the army offensive takes place, and the place hospitals are getting remoted and the place we do not have entry, it is also about electrical energy, it is usually concerning the medicines,” Habicht stated.

Addressing Other Health Concerns

The WHO plans to assist neighboring nations tackle key well being points amongst refugees and forcibly displaced individuals, together with psychological well being and psychological help, in addition to therapy for continual illnesses like diabetes, HIV, and most cancers.

Insulin, blood stress drugs, and items and medicines associated to sexual and reproductive well being and youngsters and maternal well being are also wanted, Habicht stated.

Refugees may even want entry to main well being care, stated Heather Papowitz, MD, an emergency administration specialist for the WHO. Surveillance and vaccination for COVID-19, measles, and polio are paramount, she stated.

“But additionally water sanitation and hygiene to forestall diarrheal illnesses.” Everything occurring in Ukraine is affecting different nations, Papowitz stated.

“It’s only a actual regional disaster.”

What the Future Looks Like

Going ahead, it is going to be vital to shift from offering normal provides to provides particular to wartime accidents, Ryan stated. This will embrace gear for doing main surgical procedure “and, sadly, gear for doing amputations, bone grafting, and bone wiring.”

“I believe this provides you the graphic nature of what is occurring,” he stated.

“If the army offensive continues, then the scenario that we are going to see once we meet in every week to weeks, months, or 2 months’ time shall be a lot worse that we mentioned right now,” Habicht stated.

“Every single life issues, each single life,” stated Maria Van Kerkhove, PhD, technical lead on COVID-19 for the WHO. “We have to work as onerous as we are able to to not solely finish the battle, however to finish COVID-19.”