This week, Dr Yakup Kilic provides an extremely important insight into the effects of the war in Ukraine on its healthcare system, and provides some useful ideas on how readers in the UK can help from afar.
What?
War has a drastic impact not only on physical health but also psychological and mental wellbeing. Recent events in Ukraine have displaced millions of people from their towns and cities, which far-reaching consequences beyond the loss of house and home. Many of these people will be living with chronic diseases and are now unable to receive basic medical treatment to help them manage their illnesses.
Why?
The tragic images of the senseless attack on a maternity hospital in Ukraine will have left a mark on many. Additionally, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 43 further attacks have taken place on healthcare settings in Ukraine [1], seemingly with many more to come.
An already fragile healthcare system is being brought to its knees, to the extent that children with cancer are being flown across Europe to continue their treatment. For example, 10% of the European population have a chronic kidney condition and one in 1000 require regular dialysis (a machine that helps get rid of waste products of the body due to the kidneys are not working as they should) – and without this they could die. In a war-torn country this is becoming extremely difficult, so more unnecessary deaths are inevitable [2].
The Ukrainian healthcare system is facing exceptional pressure. Many Ukrainian doctors and nurses now have been forced to shift their focus to caring for the people with injuries and illnesses caused by the conflict. The catastrophe has compounded already tough working conditions for Ukrainian healthcare professionals, and the quality of care they can provide with limited supplies.
How (does it affect you and how can I help)?
Although this war doesn’t directly affect most readers in the UK, there is a sizeable indirect effect on our daily lives through not only the rise in cost of living, but also the effect on our collective mental health of witnessing this tragedy unfold via social media. The UK government is sponsoring a programme that provides £350 per month if you are able to host a Ukrainian citizen in your home. However, this isn’t a possibility for many due to lack of space, or family circumstances.
Below we have compiled a list of ways that you can contribute directly to the healthcare of citizens in Ukraine. We also know that after this war, the Ukrainian healthcare system will face severe shortages of basic medical supplies. These will lead to worsening mortality and morbidity (the condition of being in a ‘disease state’) rates [3]. You could consider the following:
Only by helping and supporting each other will we fully achieve peace.
References:
1) https://www.npr.org/2022/03/17/1087209901/world-health-organization-ukraine?t=1647679455671
2) https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40620-022-01300-5
3) https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanepe/article/PIIS2666-7762(22)00051-5/fulltext
As always, best wishes from myHSN!
