Health Risks During Ukrainian Humanitarian Crisis

Abstract

Background The unprecedented exodus in the history of the European Union of more than 6 million Ukrainian refugees (May 13, 2022) is a cause for concern and could lead to a new difficult situation in terms of infectious disease control. Following the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, Europe is facing a new challenge that could lead to a new wave of COVID-19 and an increase in the number of cases of tuberculosis or eradicated diseases, such as polio. Aim The purpose of this analysis was to provide an overview of lung diseases and health risks that could be encountered in refugees from Ukraine and translated to European Union`countries. Methods A systematic review was conducted in PubMed, World Health Organization, the UN Refugee Agency and the government’s websites. Selected publications investigated the health problems arising from Ukrainian population migration from conflict areas and their impact on the public health system in the adoptive countries. The main potentially contagious diseases in Ukraine have also been reviewed. Results The population of Ukraine has serious public health problems such as SARS-CoV-2 infection, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, high levels of drug resistance and difficulties with an effective vaccination program, so there are significant risks of developing epidemics in transit or host countries. The current crisis has major peculiarities because the migrants were not concentrated in the camps but there was a dispersion of them on large territories of European countries. Conclusion In order to meet the health needs of refugees, it is necessary to adapt health systems culturally and linguistically, to train health workers on the particularities of existing diseases in the countries of refugee origin, and to facilitate collection of medical data on migrants’ health.

Parents’ Attitudes towards Vaccinations Regarding the Ukrainian Migration to Poland in 2022

“…Because of this situation, some children have not been vaccinated at all or have been vaccinated incompletely [ 4 ]. Tuberculosis is prevalent throughout Ukraine; according to a study by Cojocaru et al, the incidence of tuberculosis in the pediatric population is rising [ 29 ]. Compared with 2014, there was an 8% increase in new cases among children in 2015.…”

“…Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) account for an increasing percentage of all tuberculosis cases. Therefore, due to the influx of a large number of refugees and immigrants, TB must not be forgotten, despite the fact that in the WHO European region the rates of this infectious disease are low [ 29 ]. In our survey, those whose vaccination decisions regarding their children were influenced by the influx of Ukrainian immigrants were more frequently aware of how the influx of emigrants from Ukraine affected the epidemiological situation in Poland (40/54, 74.07% vs. 346/493, 54.97%; p = 0.0021) and were more likely to have been vaccinated due to these circumstances (17/54, 31.48% vs. 9/493, 1.83%; p < 0.00001).…”

Challenges in assessing the immunization status of adults in Germany – Lessons from a population-based VACCELERATE survey on polio vaccination

“…While PM vaccination rates in children are monitored by the RKI (German federal government agency and research institute for disease control and prevention) and ASHIP (Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians) in Germany, the last evaluation in adults occurred in 2013 as part of the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Adults (DEGS1) [16,17]. Current vaccination coverage among the German population may differ largely from these records due to vaccine hesitancy, increasing migration from Middle East and Ukraine and non-harmonized European vaccination schedules [5,[18][19][20].…”

Ukrainian War Refugee Children With Particularly Severe Viral Infections: A Case Series Report

“…[2][3][4][5] Traumatic war experience, homesickness and poor living conditions all have an utmost impact on children's well-being. 5,6 Due to a well-investigated relation between stress and the immune system, refugee children are particularly prone to severe infections. 6,7 Moreover, Ukrainian children have low vaccine coverage for routine immunizations, including those against viral infections.…”

“…5,6 Due to a well-investigated relation between stress and the immune system, refugee children are particularly prone to severe infections. 6,7 Moreover, Ukrainian children have low vaccine coverage for routine immunizations, including those against viral infections. 8,9 The war-induced largest-scale displacement of children in Europe since World War II coincided with substantial increases in seasonal viruses' circulation observed at the advanced stage of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.…”