This critical situation prompted the agency to send hundreds of oxygen therapy machines to the scene of the accident to help the babies.
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Posted on 08/09/2022 20:21 Updated on 08/09/2022 20:35
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This is one of the many consequences of the war in Ukraine. The conflict has led to an increase in premature births in health centers, the global health authority Unitaid said on Tuesday (August 9). The Russian invasion of Ukraine “raises the stress levels of pregnant women, leading to an increase in reported preterm births,” said agency spokesman Hervé Verhoosel during a news conference in Geneva.
The war in #Ukraine the number of premature births has increased. Premature babies are more likely to suffer from complications that require oxygen for treatment. health authority @UNITAID has provided hundreds of life-saving devices to hospitals across Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/nGyHsZiyTb
— UN Geneva (@UNGeneva) August 9, 2022
“Premature babies are more likely to develop respiratory, neurological or digestive complications – conditions that often require oxygen therapy,” he explained.
“In some hospitals that our partners have spoken to during training sessions on the use of the devices, there have been increases of 12 to 40%,” explains Hervé Verhoosel. “But we have to put that into perspective,” he nuanced. At the moment, given the situation, many more classic births without complications are not taking place in hospitals that welcome more difficult cases. Which contributes to the percentage increase. But the increase is very real.”
This critical situation prompted the agency to send oxygen therapy machines to the area to help the babies. Unitaid sent 220 oxygen delivery devices and 125 oxygen blending systems (to regulate concentration). They are now available at 25 centers across the country, 17 of which are perinatal centers.
It must be said that the bombings damaged or destroyed many hospitals. “This puts thousands of newborns at high risk of disability or death because they lack access to oxygen, the necessary equipment and the necessary treatment,” the Unitaid spokesman said.