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WHO Press conference: Ukraine’s second winter under war - 19 December 2023
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Edited News , Press Conferences | WHO
Ukraine: 2nd full winter under war and healthcare - WHO
Speaker: Dr Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative in Ukraine, speaking from Odessa, Ukraine.
TRT: 01’49”
SOURCE: UNTV CH
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 19 Dec. 2023 - GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
Geneva WHO Press Conference at UNOG
SHOTLIST
- Wide shot: UN flag alley UN Geneva.
- Cutaway: wide shot, press room, UN Geneva.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Dr Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative in Ukraine: “We see the increasing disease burden. So, even if the war would end today, the health needs of people, millions of people across the whole Ukraine, will be high and increasing.”
- Cutaway: wide shot, press room, UN Geneva.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Dr Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative in Ukraine: “We have more than 10 million people with mental health needs. It can vary from simple stress, anxiety to the other high-level needs that you need to turn to the primary care and hospitals. What we have been doing is to ensure that the training materials are available for people like the self-help plus tools.”
- Cutaway: close-up shot of journalist, UN Geneva.
- SOUNDBTE (ENGLISH) Dr Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative in Ukraine: “We have evaluated that people needs next year, in 2024, account for 7.8 million people. And we, as a humanitarian community working in health and with WHO coordination, are targeting 3.8 million people. And this is something where we need to put all of our efforts to reach to all of those civilians, many of those who are elderly and children.”
- Cutaway: wide shot, press room with journalists, UN Geneva.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Dr Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative in Ukraine: “We have more harmonized disease surveillance together within EU member states, and that's very important for public health and also information exchange.”
- Various shots of press conference room, UN Geneva.
Even if the war ended now, health needs of millions of Ukrainians would be high and increasing: WHO
As the war in Ukraine enters its second full winter, the UN health agency warned that the coming months risked being brutally cold and long for vulnerable Ukrainians.
“We see the increasing disease burden, so even if the war was to end today, the health needs of millions of people across the country would be high and increasing,” Dr Jarno Habicht from the World Health Organization (WHO) told reporters in Geneva.
Amid the ongoing Ukraine counter-offensive in response to the full-scale Russian invasion on 24 February 2022, the campaign has reportedly become one of only incremental gains.
Speaking from Odessa, the WHO Representative in Ukraine highlighted the high level of disruption to the health system.
More than 2,400 verified attacks have been carried out against health facilities since Russia’s so-called special military operation, resulting in many civilian casualties, according to WHO.
This has left many health facilities only partly functional in the east and south of the country where needs are highest.
Among them, mental health illness affects more than 10 million people. “It can vary from simple stress, anxiety to the other high-level needs for which it is necessary to turn to primary care and hospitals,” Dr. Habicht said. “What we have been doing is to ensure that the training materials are available for people, like the (online) self-help plus tools,” the WHO official explained.
More than 55,000 primary health care workers are trained to deal with mental health issues but the needs will be long-lasting for many generations, he said.
Children and the elderly are suffering particularly and struggling as winter arrives and amid ongoing fighting. Since 24 February 2022, WHO has delivered more than 4,000 metric tons of life-saving medical supplies to Ukraine, including power generators, ambulances, oxygen and medicines.
It is envisaged that the long list of requirements will be sustained next year at the same level.
The UN health agency and partners evaluate that 7.8 million people will need humanitarian support in 2024. Of this number, the humanitarian community aims to target 3.8 million of the most vulnerable. “This is something where we need to put all our efforts to reach to all those civilians,” stressed Dr. Jarno Habicht.
On a more positive note, the WHO official highlighted that Ukraine’s public health system continues to function, notably in battling the polio outbreak successfully in 2023.
Ukraine has also adopted a new public health law to improve resilience, along with boosted community surveillance for infections, ensuring that healthcare specialists address all risk factors including non-communicable diseases.
The public health community also sees the European Union accession process as an opportunity to transform Ukraine’s care infrastructure further, Dr. Habicht insisted. “We have more harmonized disease surveillance together within EU Member States, and that's very important for public health and also information exchange.”
Accession to the EU would also harmonize medical education for nurses and doctors, as well as standards for water sanitation, the WHO official continued. Nevertheless, these changes will take time as the EU only agreed on 14 December to move forward with membership talks.
Ends
Teleprompter
Hello, everybody. And welcome. Very much, very much. Welcome to this end of year.
Uh, press conference about Ukraine. Ukraine? Uh, another winter of war.
I've we've got with us somebody who probably needs no introduction.
Dr.
Jano
Habit,
who is our country representative
in Ukraine and has been
through
what was there before the war and has been there all throughout.
And he's going to tell us Give us a briefing on this subject.
So, without further ado over to you,
Jano
joining from Key Odessa.
Thank you. And, uh,
good morning. Good day. Good afternoon to everybody.
My name is Jen Hart,
and I'm WHO representative. And, uh,
welcome to the end of the year briefing, which we,
as the WHO thought it is valuable to do
to tell about the public health and health system about Ukraine as well.
The humanitarian response, which is ongoing
and
two key messages that we have really,
uh, in the beginning is one we are entering to the second
winter,
uh, which will be a cold and long winter and has also public health effects.
And the second what we have seen since
24th of February 2022 and the Russian Federation invasion
and its impact to health and public health. We see the increasing disease burden.
So even if the war would end today,
the health needs of people, millions of people across the whole Ukraine
will be high
and increasing.
And let me bring some of the examples as I have been travelling across Ukraine
months to months over the last year, being in almost all oblast, looking
to health situation, talking to the brave healthcare workers.
But
in the past few days,
I had the chance to be especially close to the
front line and talk to the healthcare workers and people
about their needs
and check the reality
together with Victor Leko,
Minister of Health.
We were
in Lehman
where
during the stay there only a few hours,
we heard constant shelling.
And that's the reality where the healthcare workers need to work
and patients need to take care, uh, receive care
and there are leaving 12,000 people out of those 600 Children
and we, as the who,
together with Ministry of Health,
delivered critical equipment to ensure that the laboratory tests
can be done as well as the medicines,
so treatment can be available through this winter
that I referred to.
I continue to hear some
oblast
where
the area was regained
in October, November last year
and
the disruption of health system is high.
And while we were optimistic last year that restoring health system can be fast,
it takes time.
Together with the deputy minister of health Sergei Durov,
we opened a centre, a centre
that allows the emergency care workers to provide care
and especially in the winter conditions when it is difficult to drive around
and I can tell in the past four days travelling more than 2000 kilometres,
Ukraine is a big country and we need to think how
to reach to the civilians to provide care to them.
And that centre really ensures that we can,
um provide care
and healthcare Workers can work further there
and these are just a few examples.
As a few days ago, we delivered already
uh ambulances
and this means that WHO has delivered all total together
100 and 15 ambulances to ensure that the care
can be provided and access can be provided and inter
hospitals transport is available.
But also this morning in Odessa, where I am talking.
I had a chance to talk, uh,
in the burn centre with the healthcare workers as well patients.
And we have witnessed increased number of burns related to, um,
heating and the new heating devices.
Because since the attacks to the civilian infrastructure,
people need to find ways to have electricity and heating
as well to talk about the increased burn needs
because the attacks with drones
and many civilians who have suffered
so
the needs are now here
and the needs will be there as we are entering also to 2024.
So this is the key message and looking through our experience
as the World Health Organisation working across the whole Ukraine,
let me now bring a few of the elements and I will talk today
about humanitarian perspective
in 2024 looking particularly to health.
I talk, uh, about long term needs
which are related to the rehabilitation, physical rehabilitation
and mental health.
Third, I would like to highlight aspects related to recovery.
Fourth,
small aspects related to the transformation and health systems. Why we are seeing
so much of the health system functioning
in Ukraine after 22 years of full scale invasion
and the last. I would like to reflect
slightly
how the EU accession can be catalyst also to
transform the health system further and particularly public health
services.
So let me, then look to the humanitarian part.
We see that the humanitarian need
will be continuing in 2024
and
in the same level as now.
However, it needs to be more focused to the oblast,
which have highest needs in east and South.
As WHO
and health partners.
We have evaluated that health needs people need needs.
Next year. 2024 account for 7.8 million people
and we, as a humanitarian community working in health
and with WHO co ordination,
are targeting 3.8 million people.
And this is something where we need to put all of our effort to
reach to all of those civilians many of those who are elderly and Children,
some of them smiling,
cycling when I have seen them in the villages.
But some of them really suffering and struggling
as going through the winter
as well, going through the war.
No,
why
this situation persist.
First, we have observed numerous attacks on health.
WHO has verified more than 1000 400 attacks
where many civilian casualties are present
and these attacks continue.
That's why
that poses also risks to provide health services.
Second,
when we look to the health facilities,
what we see
that numerous health facilities are not
either fully functional or partly functional.
For example,
if you look partly damaged health facilities and they are shared
in Harkey, 21% of health facilities
are only partly functional,
while the rest are still working.
In
Malaya,
18% are partially functional.
But if we look fully damaged facilities,
this counts 6% in hard
and 14% in Donetsk
blast.
So in those places it is very difficult to provide services
and we need to consider what other means we have available
and and we look to the access to care
we see in particularly access to care is difficult
where the humanitarian needs persist.
So we have attacks on health.
We have facilities which are damaged.
And also we are, uh, looking that we need to have,
um um uh ensure access because civilians say they don't have full access.
What we can do
is
support Ukraine
WHO since 24th of February 2022
has delivered almost 4000 metric tonnes of medical aid.
It includes ambulances, medicines, equipment, oxygen
It's a long list
and that long list will persist also next year, as we need to support.
However, it is also important to notice that there are numerous partners
and also the government ensures that humanitarian support is available.
But we need to be complementary and continue,
and this humanitarian aid is delivered by WHO to the individual facilities.
We are working with more than 1000 facilities across Ukraine,
but also together as a whole. UN.
We have United Nations interagency convoys where WHO is participating
in the 1st 100 convoys. We did WHO was present in 85
and we continued to be present
because health needs are high.
Second,
we need to look to restoring the facilities
and that's why the modular units
I was referring for the emergency medical services.
But WHO has also installed 12 modular units for primary health care,
particularly in her kob
blast,
but also in
Sumi and others.
And this is important to ensure that there is a safe place where people can come
and where the health care workers are available
and in other sites.
The primary health care outreach is important to ensure access to chronic care,
and this is what we need to do
and to make all of that available and happen.
WHO is continuing to do trainings on mass casualty,
addressing the non-communicative diseases, et cetera, et cetera.
Because we need to make all the healthcare workers aware and aware of needs
and practises. But what makes me
little bit happy in this environment? I see
that majority and many healthcare workers have gained
the trainings over the last 22 months,
so
humanitarian needs will be there.
There is clear reason
as the war is ongoing,
why the needs are there
and we know what to do
and this needs to continue.
Let me come to a second topic,
which is long term needs and particularly mental health and rehabilitation
in rehabilitation.
We have been working together
with many partners and hospitals to
ensure that the modern rehabilitation is available
and war has been a catalyst of this change.
But we need more
and there is need to ensure that the centres are available and
particularly the challenge for the coming years is to train enough specialists
from Ergo to physiotherapists to the doctors
to ensure that the care is available because needs will be there for the long term.
And in mental health.
We have more than 10 million people with the mental health needs.
It can vary from
simple
stress
anxiety
to the other high level needs
in that you need to turn to the primary care and hospitals.
What we have been doing
is to ensure that the training materials that are available
for people like the self help plus tools available in Ukrainian
and with the leadership of Olena
Zelenka
and All Ukrainian Mental Health Programme,
much has been done
and we should ask How are you more often from each other
and this is happening.
But also more than 55,000 primary healthcare workers are trained on mental health
and the community mental health teams are available across the different Oblast,
so the care is to be scaled up.
But what I wanted to say
and why bring mental health and rehabilitation here
because these needs will be long term
and these needs, particularly mental health, will be for many generations,
and we as a public health community
and the overall community need to ensure that we address that properly.
And I'd like to thank many of the partners,
many of the volunteers,
many of the professionals who are working on mental health and rehabilitation.
The third I promise to cover is recovery,
and I just want to mention here that
on recovery we see numerous positive developments.
The pharmacies have been restored, the primary care centres have been opened
and this needs to continue.
And this is something that I have been observing over years here.
That recovery starts now,
and that is to continue also in 2024
now.
The fourth topic is about transformation of the system
and the system. To be resilient
here,
I would like to highlight the courageous doctors
and nurses are continuing to provide services.
The self system is functioning.
2023 is a year
where Ukraine addressed and closed the polio outbreak.
That means the public health system is functioning
and progressing further.
But this needs to continue. And for this
what is very,
very important in an environment where we
are is continuous budget support to Ukraine,
particularly ensuring that the social sector is supported health, education,
social sector
because that allows Ukraine to progress
and move forward. And that allows the humanitarian
response to be more focused
while the country is transforming its health system further.
And this transformation is important also for people
because
we need to ensure that access to care is free of charge
and we see that because of the poverty levels are going up,
people have more difficulties to access the care.
Every fifth person delays the care because it is not affordable.
So we need to ensure that the health system also
transforms across the country not only in the East and South
Solas
to ensure access to care.
And this contributes later to the better health as well, well being
and finally let me stop for EU accession
as a public health community, we look into that as an opportunity
Ukraine has adopted during the war time the new public health law
progressing with surveillance systems,
ensuring that the public health specialists are addressing
those risk factors like non communicable diseases,
and now, with the potential that the negotiations are moving forward,
the potential is huge for the public health
to ensure
that
point by point improving the public health
system will improve also people's health.
So I am looking
optimistically
to 2024
as country
as well as the healthcare workers as well as the institutions
are to be resilient
and this gives me a hope
as we are moving forward.
But as a WHO, I plead also to many of the partners
and many of the colleagues that we continue the support
and this is because we know clearly the humanitarian
support where we need to reach 3.8 million people
and financially it means similar support as before.
We know that rehabilitation and mental health
needs are there for decades and generations.
We know that recovery is possible, and Ukraine's health system
and many of the partners from public and private sector have shown
its possibility.
We know that transforming the health system
has kept the trust in the system and has allowing Ukraine to respond
because much of the response
is delivered by Ukrainian doctors and nurses in the front line
and across the country. The health system is moving forward
and we see that EU accession,
and particularly the aspects related to public health,
our opportunity to transform the system even
further to deliver better care for Ukrainians.
So thank you.
And, uh,
back to you, Margaret.
Thank you, Jan. Know.
Thank you, Dr Habit,
I should say,
um, so now I'll open the floor to questions. I will start with the room.
I don't see any hands up yet, but please put your hands up online.
Uh, Christian,
do you have a question? No.
Looks like you've been really comprehensive. Uh, Jamie Keaton's got his
hand up. Jamie, please. Go ahead.
Hi, Doctor Ho.
Thank you so much for, uh, for coming to see us.
Um, I wanted to just see if you could elaborate a little bit more about the impact of,
uh,
European Union accession of Ukraine to the health system. What specifically,
um, kind of can you see as an impact of that, um
and And how How would it be transformative for the country.
Thank you.
And there are many, um, points there across the, um uh, acquis
and And, um um,
the negotiations to start,
but few aspects. I.
I would say one is really, uh, that we have more harmonised disease surveillance,
uh, together with the EU member states.
And that's very important for public health.
uh, and also information exchange
the second. And also it is, uh, opportunity
to ensure the medical education is more harmonised.
And for many of the nurses and doctors,
um, to, uh, have this opportunity.
But also, uh, there are a number of aspects related to, um, uh, water,
uh, sanitation.
Many of the standards that, um uh will transform, actually to better public health.
So it is a comprehensive as,
um, approach
that allows Ukraine to have a better, uh, environment, Uh, for, uh, many people.
So in that sense, I'm optimistic.
But also, I'm realistic that these changes will take time.
But if we start today,
then the we feel those changes after some of the years.
And in that sense,
it's a very important signal for the public health community that we can transform.
And we need to transform the reforms further.
Thank you very much for that answer. And now we'll go to Yuri
Yuri
af of RR
Novosti.
Yuri, please unmute yourself and ask a question.
Yes. Thank you for taking my question.
During your speech, you mentioned mental health
and that this is a problem in Ukraine right now.
How many people are we talking about.
And what is the risk that the soldiers will return from the front with unrest and be
dangerous for society? As we saw in the local parliament of the
Carpathia,
where a deputy detonated three grenades
in the middle of a meeting.
Thank you.
Thank
uh, Thank you, Yuri, For, uh, uh, the question.
So as a WHO and learning from the previous conflicts, uh, across the whole world,
Uh, and looking through the data of Ukraine,
we see that the mental health needs are around, uh,
slightly more than 10 million people.
And this varies from different conditions.
So, um, I think that is, um uh, what we see ahead of us
and that needs multiple approaches.
As I mentioned various tools for the stress management
ensuring that the primary health care is available. And there we have been
doing trainings on, um, MH C
a tools which ensures that the nurses, doctors
and many of the professionals are trained on mental health
as well. We have a mental health
teams available, many of them, uh, with whom I have been meeting in
K
in
it
as well in other cities. Uh, over the past year,
so This is
what Ukraine is transforming, uh, to,
uh to is to have multiple approaches to mental
health for self help to the professional support.
And this is something ahead of us
now. Uh, returning of veterans
is something that, uh,
also has been much discussed to ensure that the services are available.
And, um, this is a topic that needs continues. Um um, uh, attention
to, uh, support everybody. So that is, um, what is ahead of us.
And that's the reality. Uh, also we have
Thank you very much for that answer.
Uh, the next in line is Lisa Schlein and Lisa.
Before you ask your question, I'll assure you that the notes are coming.
Um, they're being generated as we speak,
and we'll have them out to you in about 30 minutes,
but over to you to ask your question.
Oh, God. You know me so well, Margaret. It's scary.
Thank you,
Doctor.
Harish. Nice to see you. I do have a few questions, however, which
may not be in. Uh, the answers may not be in the no.
Anyway, I would like to know, Um
uh, support, unfortunately, seems to be waning for, uh, Ukraine
and my own country, the United States, among certain people and in Europe so forth.
And that means that the the weapons needed
and the money needed for humanitarian needs and,
uh, health needs like your own,
uh, might not be there. How much money do you actually need?
Uh, and I And is this a matter of concern for you?
Uh, then
I'm wondering about the situation of access, whether you have,
uh, are able to reach people in all areas.
Uh, of Ukraine. Uh,
many, as you mentioned, you know, are, uh,
hotspots in terms of the,
armed conflict
and also whether you have any
access to areas that are, uh, currently under Russian control
and then,
uh, thirdly, the, um
what are the
both infectious and chronic diseases that
concern you the most?
And in particular, winter is here, even here in Geneva. Amazingly,
Uh,
what? What are the biggest concerns for you?
Will you be able to reach many people or will,
Will there be a significant number who will be, uh, out of your reach and, uh,
might be at great risk of disease and of death?
Uh, and if you could speak spec so sorry about this,
but if you could speak specifically about the
situation of Children and how they are faring,
I think you mentioned there were,
uh I don't know S 600 or you know, a lot of Children. I don't have the numbers.
Thank you.
Thank you. And and thank you, Lisa, for the questions. Um uh So let me take I.
I, uh there were five. If I, uh, come to them Uh, rightly
uh, So, uh, when we look to the support,
then first of all,
I like to thank all the international
community who has supported World Health Organisation,
but also other organisations.
Because the support for the humanitarian response
as well the development,
Um, we have really in 2023 reached to our goals.
And the support that has been through WHO, which counts almost $100 million
in Ukraine,
has been saving many lives and we have reached 28 million people.
So I like the first to thank the
for the support in 2023.
But for 2024
we see that the needs are in a similar scale for the humanitarian response as well.
We need to keep the development support ongoing.
But what is particularly important for the social sector and health sector,
including is the budget support
because we can be more targeted in
our humanitarian support as a humanitarian community
as the development community and the budget support is also available to ensure
that Ukraine healthcare workers have their salaries
and the system is moving forward.
And this is particularly important when we look to the
budget 2024 where much is dependent from the budget support.
So for all who are following the war, uh,
in Ukraine since Russian Federation invasion,
the
solution has been until now that we have the budget support,
we have the humanitarian support.
We have the recovery support which is growing slightly,
and we have also, um um uh, all the development support. So
in
all the areas, the support has continued,
and that has allowed Ukraine system
to be resilient.
And that has allowed actually,
Ukraine to lead the response while the humanitarian and development community is,
uh, comp,
um
complimentary.
So
I ask everybody to consider,
as we are going also to 2024 that these
multiple ways how Ukraine has received support will continue
and that would allow also the health system
to provide essential services to those in need.
The second in the front line while bringing Lehman
our team is every second day in the front line communities.
We continue to deliver medicines
there because the reality is that many of the pharmacies are closed
and in some places the doctors and nurses are not available daily.
Lemon is very close to the contact line approximately 10 kilometres.
We heard
shelling
every hour. When we were there,
we passed numerous minefields to reach there.
But also we saw the strength of the
healthcare workers who are providing continuously the services.
So to the front line areas,
the humanitarian community is doing
modes to ensure that the medicines equipment is available and when needed.
We are supporting also with the healthcare workers
like after the
koka dam explosion.
We have been supporting hundreds of healthcare workers with
additional incentives to be available to provide services,
surgeries, anaesthesia as well chronic diseases and support.
I am coming to
the third question about access to,
um uh occupied territories.
Unfortunately, we don't have access to the territories, and, uh,
this is something that uh, we have been also asking together with, um uh,
Denise Brown as a humanitarian coordinator also in Ukraine.
Now, come back coming back to the chronic and infectious diseases.
Let me start from infectious diseases.
Currently, the surveillance system shows, um, good resilience of Ukraine system.
We don't have,
uh, major outbreaks across the country.
We have been following up, um, the hepatitis A outbreak that was in Vinita.
And we need to continuously ensure that the surveillance system is there.
And as I mentioned, the polio outbreak has been closed.
But one particular area that needs attention
is continuously, uh, to ensure the vaccination
and to ensure that vaccination and other
services are available for internally displaced people.
Because in addition to millions of Ukrainians who
have left the country also within the country,
we need to ensure that ID PS internally displaced people
have
access to care because their access is slightly lower
in the new places of living compared to the residents who were living there before.
And the vaccination is particularly, uh, something which is ahead of us.
And we need strong vaccination outreach programmes also in 2024 in the same way as
we have been doing and supporting in
23 including the vaccination for elderly and Children
on the chronic diseases as the last question If I remember all the
one,
the situation is complex
and particularly we need to start to pay attention,
much more to the non-communicative diseases here.
I mean, the pulmonary diseases here. I mean the with pulmonary diseases, lungs,
uh, as well the acute
myocardial infarction and stroke.
And here we need to, uh, ensure early diagnostics
and availability of services.
Let me bring an example. When I was in Port Tao
a few months ago in the rehabilitation department,
we had numerous men and women, mainly men
who had turned to the doctor later,
and after they had stroke,
it took time to learn again, to speak, to write,
to walk. And these aspects are avoidable.
But in the wartime, access to care, especially for the chronic diseases,
might be delayed.
And here,
if we compare the covid time when many countries were struggling with the
chronic care and ensuring that the
essential services are available for everybody,
then here we need to pay attention to this.
And this is very good question and and aspect we need to address.
And what I said in the beginning
is that we will see the disease burden
continuously increase
and the disease burden because of the chronic diseases, infectious diseases,
mental health and physical rehabilitation needs.
So the health needs are there,
and we need to continue to support. And this is what
Wo does also with the team across, uh, the country
back to the market.
And Lisa, I hope that I covered all the
questions.
Lisa's still got her hand up again, so I think it's a follow
up. Go ahead,
Lisa.
Yeah, it it is. Uh uh. I mean, you're really great that you got I'm so sorry to
bludgeon you with all of these questions at once. It's because of the remote area.
I feel as if I don't get it all in in one gasp. I won't get it in.
Uh, I, uh I you did not answer a couple of things, however, and that's my fault,
not yours.
And one was, uh if you would specifically talk about the condition of Children,
how many
are at risk of whether uh, malnutrition has gone up considerably? Whether
many are at risk of dying If, uh,
they might not get the treatment that they need need
And also specifically your big concerns for the winter,
which is here now,
especially as, uh, Russia is likely to attack the power grids.
And so, the kind of heating uh uh, electricity, other needs,
uh, that are vital will be knocked out.
Uh, how you're going to work around those situations. And thank you again.
Thank you.
Uh, when it comes to the, uh, Children, then, of course,
the impact of war is devastating to Children,
and this
many have seen
since the beginning of the full scale invasion.
This has the impact to mental health.
This has impact to, um, um, nutrition, as you mentioned
as, well, the vaccination.
So we need to ensure that the comprehensive package is available.
And there we have many of the partners, including UNICEF.
Uh,
who is ensuring that there are outreach? Uh, services. There is a partner
of service is available
to ensure that, um, paediatric care is available, But on childcare, I think, um, uh,
we always need to prioritise it.
And, uh,
it's a multiple aspects to bring in, but, uh,
particularly nutritionally important.
Uh, important vaccination important to support the mental health
as the winter is coming,
I think, um, many of the health facilities are getting prepared.
If I look at the health facilities and many of those I have visited
it generators heating
because it is highly likely
that it will be a similar winter ahead of us, including challenges
not only with electricity but also with the heating,
and the facilities are taking care that they are prepared.
But you you can always do more.
What is a challenge for people
is exactly the transport availability of medicines.
So how to take care of your own health,
or how to ensure that you reach to the facility
when it's needed.
And let me bring you just an example. When I was in Heron
Oblast yesterday,
the road that you usually drive
one hour
when it is raining,
when it is slight snow
it takes three hours,
and that's something that we need to keep in mind that
the transport in the winter time is much more difficult.
So it's not only the health sector, but all the infrastructure,
uh, around the roads, electricity, heating
water
that also makes it more difficult to, um have proper care in the right time.
So as in the past winter,
uh, we are assessing also. Now that the chronic diseases will go up
as well, we will have potentially higher numbers of tests
because of the cold and freezing,
and WHO has published um,
uh also specific paper on the winter preparedness and main risks ahead
by taking into account very specific information oblast by Oblast in Ukraine
And that is available also in our website, uh,
to look where the main risks are as we are entering the winter.
And
many of the facilities finally, um, the last point, Um um, has been, um uh, preparing
for the winter.
This is something that, um, I have witnessed also, uh, in the facilities, uh,
including the primary care and hospitals.
And, uh, many of them are beyond health sector.
We see also many of the centres of resilience where we have elderly
doing a T, charging their phone or radio to ensure that they have, uh,
support available.
But, uh,
overall, uh, Lisa, I think
next this year will not be easier than the last year.
Thank you very much. That was on that very realistic note. I think we can close.
I'm looking in the room. No further questions. No further questions online.
So thank you very much,
Doctor Habit for that really comprehensive analysis
of what's gone before what we're looking at
in the future.
Um, you mentioned a paper on winterization. Uh, I'll ask colleagues.
I know they're listening
in Ukraine to please add that to the notes,
The link to that and any other links
that would be useful for the journalists listening.
And on that, I'll close this press release. Thank you very much.
Press, press conference. Anything else you'd like to add?
Thank you, Margaret. And and I ask, um everybody.
Um uh, always when we talk about Ukraine, please come to Ukraine.
I think it's important that we see what is happening and how we can support as well.
From the
side.
We stay, um,
here available and we have published in the past six months number of reports away
on primary care financing on health needs of
people situation across thousands of health facilities.
So, uh, uh,
all the journalists and colleagues please reach out,
and the materials are available in our website.
And, uh so that might be useful, uh, for your costs as well. But thank you, Margaret.
Thank you. All who joined.
And I wish you a safe end of the year from one of the shelters in Oves.
Thank you.
Thank you. And wishing you a very safe time. Stay safe in Ukraine, Doctor
habit.