As the war in Ukraine continues to rage on, efforts towards promoting public health have become of utmost importance. Amidst the conflict and turmoil, vaccination rates have dropped and the risk of disease outbreaks has increased. To combat this alarming trend, the World Health Organization (WHO) has stepped in to bolster immunization efforts across the country. In this article, we delve deeper into the ongoing public health crisis in Ukraine and discuss how WHO’s efforts are helping to protect the health and wellbeing of its citizens.
The World Health Organization recently led a 3-day event in Kyiv to strengthen the national immunization programme and address new public health challenges in Ukraine, including the war. Health authorities and experts in public health and immunization from across the country participated in the joint retreat, which was convened by the Ministry of Health, the Ukrainian Public Health Centre, and regional centres for diseases control and prevention. The retreat aimed to gather Ukrainian public health authorities from all levels of national public health institutions to discuss the current challenges and plans for public health system development in Ukraine during and after the war.
Dr Jarno Habicht, the WHO Representative in Ukraine, emphasized the importance of ensuring that the regional level of the public health system is regularly and actively engaged in dialogue with the national public health authorities. Dr Ihor Kuzin, the Deputy Minister of Health and Chief State Sanitary Doctor of Ukraine, stated that the value of holding the retreats lies in the possibility of communication and exchange of experience between representatives from the regional CDCs, as well as in establishing direct contacts with representatives of the UPHC and the Ministry of Health.
The first day of the retreat focused on public health issues, including priorities in public health policy, revision of regulations related to the adoption in September 2022 of a new law on the public health system, European Union accession requirements, the mid-term programme for public health development, and approaches to ensure readiness and response in the public health sphere at national and regional levels. The second and third days focused on the immunization programme at the subnational level, immunization monitoring, and vaccine supply chain-related roles assigned to regional CDCs. Participants also took part in practical exercises on annual planning for routine immunization and microplanning for measles catch-up vaccination among children born between 2017 and 2021.
Directors of regional CDCs along with immunization programme regional leads worked on mapping communities at high risk of a measles outbreak within each region. The event provided regions with a methodology for annual planning and vaccine stock management, as well as a measles outbreak preparedness and response plan with timelines for implementing key actions, microplanning, and mapping high-risk territories and communities within regions.
The initiative serves as a platform for national public health institutions at all levels to come together to discuss emerging health issues in Ukraine. In 2023, WHO and partners will host a total of 4 retreats focusing on a wide range of topics. The retreat was organized with financial support from the European Union, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF). WHO is committed to supporting Ukraine in strengthening immunization efforts, eliminating inequities in vaccine coverage, extending population access to vaccination services and mitigating risks of outbreaks. The retreat provides an essential platform for WHO and partners to come together and discuss both challenges and ways forward amid the war.
As war continues to plague Ukraine, public health and immunization efforts have become more important than ever. The World Health Organization (WHO) has played a critical role in providing the necessary resources and support to bolster these efforts, ensuring that the people of Ukraine can continue to receive the care and protection they need despite the challenges they face. With ongoing aid and collaboration between the WHO and local authorities, there is hope that Ukraine will be able to not only overcome the current crisis, but also build a stronger, more resilient healthcare system that can better serve its citizens in the future.
