A war always leaves its legacy in the form of trauma, hunger and , above all, poor health for those lucky enough to survive. This is something that often goes unnoticed in the buildup to war or the celebrations afterward, the number of people who will be left with unpredictable health problems, no access to treatment for their ailments, and health problems that are specifically related to war. The writer is a Spaniard of Syrian descent , who knows something about what the Ukrainian people must be going through right now. What specific problems am I talking about? Continue reading .
Postwar effects
More than 140 civilians have been killed in the Ukraine conflict so far , according to the United Nations human rights office. However, they admit that the total is likely to be much higher . These casualties may have occurred as a result of fighting, but war has an impact on people’s health that goes further. Some deaths are not due to the battle, but to the broader public health impact of the fighting, which can last long after the war is over. The Russian invasion of Ukraine is almost certain to cause widespread pain and health problems among the civilian population. This may result in ways we are not yet aware of.
What is surprising is the total exclusion of post-war health problems as even a matter of debate . Wars leave affected countries not only with poor infrastructure or economies, but also create a gaping hole or dangerously large cavity in the health care sector, its infrastructure, its accessibility, and many more factors. It can be much worse when the war affects rural areas. These places already lack resources and accessibility, and the conditions of war only increase them.
Damage to health infrastructure , such as hospitals and clinics, due to war has a negative impact on the health system . It drives healthcare personnel to flee, leaving healthcare institutions without funds to cope with the growing patient load of the battle. This adds to supply chain disruptions. Due to storage space limits and the cost of maintaining large inventories, most hospitals rarely have more than a few days’ supply of drugs and supplies. Antibiotics, blood products, and dressings are some of the items that are quickly depleting from these supplies.
mental health problems
The health impacts of war are both personal and far-reaching. The health consequences are immediate – people are injured or killed – and then the consequences are extended in space and time. According to rough estimates, nine people will die indirectly for every person who dies directly from the war; however, this can vary greatly depending on the severity of the conflict and the underlying health conditions of the nations where it is fought.
This could mean there is an unidentified effect on mental health. When an invading battle begins, the mental health consequences will be severe and long-lasting . Those directly affected by violence will be at serious risk of post-traumatic stress, but will also increase depression, anxiety and other stress-related illnesses, such as alcohol and drug abuse, with potentially long-lasting and intergenerational consequences.
Effect on children’s health care
The effect of healthcare on children due to the recent outbreak of war is also massive. Children already diagnosed with a disease before the war, or born with a condition, are being left without care . This applies to those who developed one as a result of the war. The parents and families of these children remain stressed and carry the burden of finding a way to save their child’s life. This has led many families to temporarily migrate to nearby countries in search of stable healthcare, placing a serious burden on neighboring countries.
Migration risk
The health repercussions of war can travel far beyond the countries involved, as we have seen in previous battles/struggles. The health needs of millions of people displaced by violence are one of the world’s most important human rights challenges . When people flee war zones, they carry their pain with them. They are susceptible to various infectious diseases, and struggle to find nutritious food and safe housing. Some may even flee the country in search of better healthcare accessibility or immediate medical help.
People who are not to blame will have to uproot and relocate to save their lives and the lives of their families. They may have poor living conditions in the new regions, insufficient treatment options due to the increasing number of refugees. It can also affect the neighboring country and its citizens.
disease outbreaks
If there is a lack of clean water and functioning sanitation facilities, the danger of spreading infectious diseases increases . In addition, interruptions in immunization programs, leading to lower vaccine coverage, increase the likelihood of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles and polio. Due to postwar shifts in focus from vaccine coverage to other issues, vaccination campaigns and vaccine administrations have been inadvertently reduced or cut short. There is the precedent of the battle of Syria , where they reduced vaccination coverage in the postwar period and there was a huge outbreak of polio . This would also mean the same in the case of Ukraine.
Pollution due to war
Setting fire to oil and gas infrastructure releases noxious fumes and produces hazardous substances that can harm both people and the environment. The first Russian attack, according to PAX, was against gasoline storage containers at the Chuhuiv airbase in February, which caused a fire. Air bases, gas depots and tanks, and other energy facilities have been bombed repeatedly during the first two weeks of the Russian assault; many of them are close to residential areas. Significant air pollution has occurred as a result of the fires .
Special thanks to Dr. Ganna Katoula Artymovych for her review and comments.
References
Koper, A. y Rigby, J. (2022, 8 de Marzo). “A war for life of our child”: Health crisis spills out of Ukraine conflict. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/a-war-life-our-child-health-crisis-spills-out-ukraine-conflict-2022-03-08/
Lee, A. (2022, 2 de Marzo). Ukraine: war has an impact on people’s health beyond bullets and bombs. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/ukraine-war-has-an-impact-on-peoples-health-beyond-bullets-and-bombs-178062
Sheather, J. (2022, 24 de Febrero). As Russian troops cross into Ukraine, we need to remind ourselves of the impact of war on health. BMJ, 376, o499. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.o499
Weinthal, E. y Sowers, J. (2022, 1 de Marzo). The Environmental and Health Dimensions of the Ukraine War. UC Press Blog. https://www.ucpress.edu/blog/58701/the-environmental-and-health-dimensions-of-the-ukraine-war/
