On-site conditions in Ukraine will facilitate the spread of Covid-19, said Dr. Mike Ryan, director of the World Health Organization’s Emergency Health Program, during a briefing Wednesday.
“Every time you upset a society like this and put literally millions of people on the move, then infectious diseases will benefit,” Ryan said.
“People are crowded together, stressed and not eating, not sleeping properly. They are highly susceptible to the effects, above all they infect themselves. And the disease is much more likely to spread, “he said.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adanom Gebrejesus said the organization was “deeply concerned” about reports of attacks on health facilities and workers.
“We have received several unconfirmed reports of attacks on hospitals and health infrastructure and one confirmed incident last week in which a hospital was subjected to heavy weapons, killing four people and injuring 10, including six health workers. “We are currently investigating several other incidents,” he said.
“Attacks on health care violate international humanitarian law,” Tedros said.
According to Johns Hopkins University, Ukraine registered a record high number of Covid-19 cases early last month, with more than 45,000 reported on February 4. And only about 34% of Ukraine’s population is fully vaccinated, according to JHU.
“In this case, there is no doubt that military operations, the invasion, as you want to call it in Ukraine, are causing indescribable suffering to the people of Ukraine,” Ryan said. “The WHO does not want to be involved in the politics of this process.”
“From our point of view, we call on the countries, and in particular on the Russian government, to reconsider its position in the light of the suffering in Ukraine,” he said.