Consequences of the war with the Russian Federation for the public health of Ukraine

Abstract

According to experts’ data, the war between Ukraine and Russia may become one of the bloodiest in modern history – the scale of losses on both sides is already much higher than in a typical war of the modern era. The objective is to determine the consequences of the war with the Russian Federation for the public health of Ukrainian population in the regions temporarily occupied by Russian army and located in the war zone. Materials and methods. The research materials were the data from scientific literature and personal practical experience in the organization of public health care. The method of the system approach, the bibliosemantic method and the method of structural and logical analysis were used. Results. The analysis of the was consequences with the Russian Federation for public health in the regions that are temporarily occupied and are located in the zone of active hostilities shows that they are complex and include medical-demographic, socioeconomic and behavioral-biological groups. The main negative medico-demographic consequences include: an increase in the incidence of socially significant and infectious diseases, mental exhaustion with an increase in the level of psychological and mental problems with a high risk of posttraumatic stress disorder development with an increase in the general and premature mortality of the population without receiving medical help and self-medication and a high level of forced population migration. The main socio-economic consequences that negatively affect the state of public health include: the tragic loss of relative persons, housing and property, a decrease in the economic level of the population, the loss of social status of the large part of the population, a low level of access to the Internet and mobile communications connection or its complete absence (forced isolation), the significant damage of the infrastructure of the energy supply system for life, a low level of access to medical services and medicines. The main behavioral and biological consequences that negatively affect the state of public health include: the loss of previously stable conditions of quality life, living in unfavorable sanitary and hygienic conditions and in constant stress, the loss of motivation for behavior directed at a responsible attitude to personal health. Conclusions. The war with the Russian Federation has a significant negative impact on the state of public health in Ukraine.