Attacks on hospitals, ambulances and other health care facilities in Ukraine grew rapidly in the last few days and the country misses of vital medical supplies, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said on Tuesday.
The UN agency has confirmed on Monday that at least nine people was dead in 16 attacks on health facilities from start of a Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24. He didn’t say who has been responsible.
That of the WHO senior emergency officer for Europe, Catherine Smallwood, told a news briefing that the tally included incidents where ambulances had been commandeered for purposes other than emergency health care.
“We will continue to update this numbers. They grew pretty quickly over the past a few days,” Smallwood said.
The agency is working to quickly deliver medical supplies to Ukraine, where oxygen, insulin, protection individual surgical equipment items and blood products are running out, Europe region director Hans Kluge said at the briefing.
Provision of oxygen, childrenvaccines, especially against polio in the midst of an epidemic and mental health expertise among WHO’s top priorities for the region, he said.
In a separate press release, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said countries neighboring Ukraine which hosts Ukrainian refugees should include them in their vaccine programs against a range of diseases,
They should prioritize vaccination against COVID-19 and poliomyelitis and also against measles, such as current inoculation coverage is insufficient to prevent measles outbreaks, says ECDC in A declaration.
“Overcrowding in bomb shelters and reception centers could facilitate start of an epidemic of measles, especially since spring coincides with natural seasonality of disease”, the agency added.
