Severity of diseases to increase, infectious disease incidence to grow due to war in Ukraine – WHO Country Office in Ukraine

18:44, 07.11.2023 1 min read

The severity of diseases will increase and the incidence of some infectious diseases will grow, Head of the WHO Country Office in Ukraine Jarno Habicht has said.

"One of the phenomena we will see is an increase in the severity of diseases. We also need support in the case of chronic and non-communicable diseases. There is a war every day. This puts more and more civilians at risk," he said in an exclusive interview with the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency.

Habicht also said the risks of specific diseases, including rabies, cholera, polio, measles, and diphtheria should be considered in some regions of the country.

"Generally speaking, we should be prepared for various infectious diseases, but they will also vary in different areas," he said.

Habicht recalled that "there are 10 million people [in Ukraine] who need mental health support."

"This is not only a problem for the present. This is also a problem for future generations," he said.