91 attacks on Ukrainian health facilities verified since war began: WHO

GENEVA – The World Health Organization has said it has verified 91 attacks on health facilities in Ukraine since the war began on February 24.

Ukraine is living in “dark days,” WHO Europe chief Hans Kluge said in a briefing from Lviv, a city near the border with Poland in western Ukraine, on the 43rd day of the war.

“Routine immunization coverage for polio and measles is below the threshold for population immunity, 50% of Ukraine’s pharmacies are presumed closed, and 1,000 health facilities are in proximity to conflict areas,” said Kluge, who had to temporarily shift the press conference underground due to an air raid warning.

He said around 80,000 babies will be born over the next three months with insufficient pre- and post-natal care available due to the ongoing conflict.

He said the global health body is considering all scenarios and making contingencies for different situations, from the continued treatment of mass casualties to chemical attacks.

He expressed deep admiration for Ukraine’s medical workers for protecting people’s health in times of immense difficulties.

“We have a fully functional office in Lviv and are setting up an operational base in Dnipro in east-central Ukraine to mobilize resources more quickly and reach some of the most vulnerable people in conflict zones with urgent supplies,” he added.

According to the WHO regional chief, an estimated 260,000 people with HIV live in Ukraine.

Along with the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Ukrainian authorities and the WHO had ensured enough supply of antiretroviral drugs to cover the needs of every person with HIV in Ukraine for the next 12 months, he said.

Kluge said Ukraine was making excellent progress on specific challenges before the war started, including in its fight against tuberculosis (TB) and HIV.