The war in Ukraine has led to a surge in premature births in health facilities, said the global health agency Unitaid, which sent oxygen therapy machines to help the babies.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine “increases the stress level of pregnant women, which leads to an increase in the number of reported premature births,” Unitaid spokesman Hervé Verhoosel told a news conference in Geneva.
“Babies who are born prematurely are more likely to develop respiratory, neurological or digestive complications, conditions that often require oxygen treatment,” he explained.
Oxygen Device Shipments
Unitaid shipped 220 oxygen delivery devices and 125 oxygen blending systems to regulate oxygen concentration. They are now available at 25 centers across the country, 17 of which are perinatal centers.
“In some hospitals that our partners talked to during training on the use of the equipment, there were increases of 12 to 40%,” explained Hervé Verhoosel.
“But you have to put things into perspective a bit. At the moment, given the situation, many more traditional and uncomplicated deliveries do not take place in hospitals, which attend to the most difficult cases. Which contributes to the increase in percentages. But the increase is real,” he told AFP.
damaged hospitals
The conflict in Ukraine has also damaged or destroyed many hospitals.
“This puts thousands of newborn babies at high risk of disability or death due to lack of access to oxygen, necessary equipment and essential treatment,” the Unitaid spokesperson said.
To date, the World Health Organization (WHO) has verified 434 attacks on health services since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 366 of which have hit health facilities.
Source: BFM TV
