802 attacks on health services during the Russia-Ukraine war

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), said: “(Russia-Ukraine War) Since the conflict began, the WHO has confirmed 802 attacks on health services. These attacks resulted in the death of 101 health workers and patients.” saying.

Ghebreyesus made assessments at the weekly press conference.

Recalling that after the earthquakes centered on Kahramanmaraş, search and rescue efforts in Turkey and Syria came to an end, but there were two more earthquakes in Turkey on February 20, Ghebreyesus said that these caused pain in the region.

Mentioning that the new earthquakes were less severe than those experienced on February 6, Ghebreyesus stated that despite this, they caused deaths and injuries.

Ghebreyesus said: “Currently, the total number of people who lost their lives (in the earthquakes in Turkey) is more than 47 thousand and 125 thousand people were injured. At least 15 hospitals were damaged and many healthcare facilities were affected in Turkey. In Syria, hospitals and 145 health facilities were damaged. 26 million people were affected by the earthquakes. WHO has launched an emergency appeal for $84.5 million to support emergency health response efforts in both countries.” he said.

Recalling that as of this week a year has passed since the “Russian occupation of Ukraine”, Ghebreyesus mentioned that the Russia-Ukraine war had devastating health consequences.

“WHO REACHED 3 THOUSAND TONS OF MEDICAL SUPPLIES”

“Since the conflict began, the WHO has confirmed 802 attacks on healthcare. These attacks resulted in the death of 101 health workers and patients.” used his statements.

Emphasizing that the war increased health needs, including mental health and psychological support, Ghebreyesus stressed that the disruptions to be experienced will pose a health hazard in the future.

“WHO is working closely with its partners in Ukraine, and the number of people it has responded to has reached 8.4 million. Since the start of the war, WHO has delivered a total of approximately 3,000 tons of medical supplies to Ukraine, including ambulances, generators, medicines for chronic patients, trauma supplies, and emergency surgery. The WHO has appealed for $240 million in aid to support our work to reach 11.4 million people in Ukraine and refugee-receiving countries.” saying.

“THIS VIRUS SHOULD NOT BE UNDERSTANDED”

Stating that a new study on Covid-19 points to the importance of evidence on vaccination and booster doses, Ghebreyesus noted that in addition to significantly reducing the risk of severe illness and death, vaccination also reduces the likelihood that patients with Covid-19 have a heart attack or stroke. .

Ghebreyesus said these findings are important for countries to continue vaccination studies against the virus, especially for those at risk.

Noting that the WHO Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Composition met this week, Ghebreyesus noted that the group stressed the need for continued surveillance to guide vaccine composition and assess their efficacy.

“While the world in general is in a better position than three years ago, this virus should not be taken lightly.” Ghebreyesus said, noting the importance of investing in research to develop vaccines that can provide broader protection and reduce transmission. (AA)