The war in Ukraine is going to create a hotbed of disease.

in ukraine •  3 years ago 

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Polio made a comeback in Ukraine in the months before the war and the invasion derailed a rapid polio vaccination campaign.

Ukraine for several years now has been battling measles outbreaks, and while measles vaccination rates rebounded in recent years, they still were insufficient for herd immunity.

HIV has been a serious concern in Ukraine where about ~1% of adults have the virus. Especially high rates in MSM and PWID. ART shipments have been disrupted due to the war and many HIV+ refugees have limited quantities of their medications.

TB is also widespread in the country with high rates of drug resistant TB. Many of the HIV+ individuals unfortunately have active TB infections.

And of course COVID is still with us. Coronavirus vaccination rates were low in Ukraine with many rural areas with extremely low rates and relatively low rates among the elderly. The invasion has disrupted coronavirus testing and vaccination. Before the war, Ukraine was still in its Omicron wave.

There are still efforts underway to help vaccinate Ukrainian children against polio and measles, and to help refugees access medicines. In particular, UNICEF has embedded itself with Ukrainian refugees and is vaccinating against measles and polio.

Please consider donating to UNICEF's relief work in Ukraine:
https://www.unicefusa.org/stories/unicef-children-are-bearing-brunt-intensifying-crisis-ukraine/39481

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