The WHO Situation Report #1 on the Ukraine emergency for the period 24 February to 3 March 2022 has been published. It includes event highlights, a situation update, and WHO actions to date.
On 24 February 2022, an escalation of military operations in Ukraine triggered a humanitarian emergency affecting Ukraine and surrounding countries. One week after the escalation, the overall situation continues to deteriorate across Ukraine. To date, over 18 million individuals have been affected by the conflict, over 1 million refugees have arrived in neighboring countries, with UNHCR estimating that this could rise to 4 million by July 2022.
Between 24 February and 2 March 2022, OHCHR recorded 802 civilian casualties in Ukraine, including 249 deaths. The human cost is likely much higher as access and security challenges make it difficult to verify the actual number of deaths and injuries. Reports of attacks on health are increasing. WHO has verified 5 attacks on health since 24 February.
The Ministry of Health (MoH) and National Health System of Ukraine (NHSU) continue to operate, but humanitarian access across borders is still being negotiated as of 4 March 2022.
There are significant access barriers due to active hostilities, martial law (curfew), medicine (availability, access to pharmacies, cost), health care facilities (distance, damage to roads, transportation, lack of mass transport, fuel shortages, restricted movement through military checkpoints, safety concerns in facilities, lack of specialized beds and equipment, few disability accommodations, limited telemedicine, health workforce shortages). Many isolated settlements do not have pharmacies or medical centres. These barriers to access are further compounded by a health system already strained by the COVID-19 pandemic, suffering from a lack of maintenance and aging medical equipment, shortages of medicines and medical supplies, understaffing, and disruptions to management due to recent health reforms and decentralization.
Health facilities are focused on treating trauma patients; and there are already dire warnings concerning the availability of beds for both trauma and other conditions. At least three major oxygen plants in Ukraine have closed, and supplies are dangerously low, hampering treatment of a number of medical conditions, including COVID-19. Asof3March,basedontheshiftingcontext,morethan200healthfacilitieshavefoundthemselves along conflict lines or in changed areas of control.
There are reports, both verified and under investigation, of health facilities being damaged or destroyed.
The Ministry of Health (MoH) suspended all scheduled hospitalization and elective procedures to allow health care facilities to respond to emergency medical care. International trauma referrals are being set up in the meantime, including a Regional “Humanitarian Hub” in Poland. COVID-19 call centers are being repurposed to manage conflict-related health emergencies, including trauma care and access to health services.
There will likely be staff shortages at health facilities for security reasons and displacement of some staff, either internally or to neighbouring countries. Accessibility of health services is likely to be severely disrupted within areas of active conflict.
According to the latest government data compiled by UNHCR, over one million of the refugees have now left Ukraine to surrounding countries, with the majority in Poland.
An additional 96 000 people moved to the Russian Federation from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions between 18 and 23 February.
Priority public health concerns
- Conflict related trauma and injuries exacerbated by lack of access to health facilities by patients and health staff due to insecurity and lack of access to lifesaving medicine and supplies.
- Excess morbidity and death from common illnesses due to disruption in services such as non-communicable diseases (cardiovascular, diabetes, canceretc.) and acute maternal, newborn and child illnesses.
- Spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19, measles, polio, TB, HIV and diarrheal diseases due to widespread destruction of water and sanitation infrastructure, inadequate vaccination coverage, lack of access to medicines and medical care, safe water, adequate sanitation and hygiene as well aspopulation movements and crowding.
- Mental health and psychosocial health – due to significant stress due to acute conflict and two years of COVID-19.
WHO Actions
- Coordinating the health response in support of the Ministry of Health in Ukraine and surrounding countries.
- Conducting public health risk and health facility and service assessments.
- Scaling-up surveillance and health information to detect and respond to outbreaks early and to better understand health needs, health threats, andthe functionality and availability of health services.
- Providing WHO technical support and surge staff to manage the priority health concerns as well as mobilizing partners through Emergency Medical Teams(EMT), the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) and the Global Health Cluster, among others.
- Providing health supplies and logistic capacity to deliver medicines, diagnosticsand preventive supplies.
- Monitoring attacks on health care.
- Ensuring the safety and security of WHO staff and our implementing partners.
