At the end of his term as the World Health Organization representative in Ukraine, Jarno Habicht highlighted the resilience of the Ukrainian population facing the consequences of the Russian invasion since 2022. In an urgent appeal, Habicht emphasized the need for a rapid response, as the harsh winter approaches and protection against the cold is vital to saving human lives.
The situation is desperate for health professionals, with WHO data revealing that more than 25% of Ukrainian doctors and nurses suffer from severe depression, while 20% deal with anxiety disorders. Under constant stress from attacks, these front-line workers bear the burden of an already overwhelmed healthcare system.
Recently, an attack on a shopping center in Kryvyi Rih, far from the front line, exposed the vulnerability of families, resulting in 140 injured, including 23 children, and 16 deaths. This tragedy highlights that victims of the conflict extend beyond the battlefields, making the medical response even more critical.
With the arrival of winter, the WHO has already implemented 30 heating units in health facilities and plans to install 22 more. In recent months, health teams conducted 13 thousand consultations in seven regions, distributing vital medicines to more than 28 thousand people. However, the situation is worsened by more than 3 thousand attacks on health infrastructure, with bombings in Kyiv and Dnipro destroying supplies that could serve 225 thousand people. In his farewell, Habicht made an appeal to the international community for emergency actions and reconstruction efforts to be carried out without waiting for the end of conflicts.
