People with chronic diseases face challenges in accessing health care in Ukraine: WHO survey

1 in 3 households home to at least 1 person with a chronic condition is unable to secure medication and care.

At the 2-month mark of the war in Ukraine, a new WHO survey illustrates the devastating impact of the humanitarian emergency on the health and well-being of millions of civilians, and the severe challenges facing the Ukrainian health system.

Preliminary results from an ongoing nationwide health needs assessment, conducted in partnership with premise, indicate that of the 1,000 households that have responded so far, 1 in 3 (30%) that have at least 1 person with a chronic disease reported challenges in accessing care for those conditions. The survey also shows that 2 out of 5 households (39%) have at least 1 member with a chronic illness, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes or cancer.

Less than a third (30%) of respondents sought out health-care services recently; of those, 39% cited the security situation as the main reason, while 27% reported that no health-care services were available at all in their area.

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Most households (70%) surveyed are sheltering in their own homes at this time, while 11% are staying with friends and family members in relatively safer areas, 8% are on the move within Ukraine, and 3% are in a shelter or camp for internally displaced people.

“Two months into the war, our findings show the urgent need for continued health system support in Ukraine,” said Dr Jarno Habicht, WHO representative and Head of the WHO Country Office in Ukraine.

“Through our long-standing engagement with the Ministry of Health, national health institutions and our many partners and donors, WHO has been able to reach nearly 7.5 million people over the past 8 weeks with life-saving supplies, equipment and medicines. But we are still unable to reach some of the hardest-hit areas in the east where the health system has all but collapsed. We have received reports, for instance, that nearly all health facilities and hospitals in Luhansk oblast are either damaged or destroyed, and the situation is critical in several others. It is vital that we gain access so we can assess health needs and move vital supplies into affected areas, including Mariupol. Civilians have a right to health, even in times of war,” Jarno Habicht said.