Almost 10 million people in Ukraine are at risk of mental disorders - WHO
Kyiv • UNN
According to WHO estimates, nearly 10 million people in Ukraine are at risk of mild to severe mental disorders due to the war. The approach of the third winter in the war may exacerbate the situation with the population's mental health.
In Ukraine, almost 10 million people are at risk of mild to severe mental disorders. As we approach the third anniversary of the full-scale war, these challenges are only growing.
This was announced by the Director of the WHO Regional Office for Europe, Dr. Hans Kluge, during a press conference on “Preparing the health care system of Ukraine for winter,” UNN reports .
My key message today is simple and extremely urgent. Ukraine is approaching its third winter in a full-scale war, probably the most difficult of all. As of today, the WHO has confirmed about 2,000 attacks and attacks on healthcare, including hospitals, healthcare workers, and patients. In the last 6 months alone, targeted attacks have damaged Ukraine's energy infrastructure
According to him, frequent power outages in the summer are already causing damage with signs of danger for the winter. For example, by jeopardizing the storage and distribution of vaccines.
“If the vaccine stockpile cannot be used, we could see increase in vaccine-preventable diseases or water supply systems. They can be compromised because water distribution points depend on uninterrupted power supply. This can lead to a variety of diseases, as the lack of heating and ventilation in winter can contribute to the growth of respiratory infections, from influenza to COVID-19. And most importantly, the threat of antimicrobial resistance is extremely real in times of war and humanitarian crisis and disaster,” Kluge said.
He stated that another concern about winter is the risk of increased mental health problems.
It is estimated that nearly 10 million people in Ukraine are at risk of mild to severe mental disorders. As the third anniversary of the war approaches, these challenges are only growing in number, and the arrival of winter can only exacerbate and complicate the situation
In addition, the Director of the WHO Regional Office for Europe noted that as the war in Ukraine drags on and the wounded need urgent treatment, there is growing concern about drug resistance due to the possible misuse and inappropriate use of antibiotics.
We have stories of wounds that do not heal because of antibiotic resistance. This is a situation with possible consequences that extend far beyond the territory of Ukraine if the drugs are no longer effective... Ukraine has 100 laboratories that carry out epidemiological surveillance and monitoring of drug and bacterial resistance, compared to only three in 2017
Kluge also noted that access to medicines is another challenge.
“More than 80% of all households said they face problems in getting the medicines they need. 6% of respondents said they do not have access to essential medicines. One-third of respondents also said that they do not have enough money to buy medicines,” said Kluge.
