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WHO Warns Ukraine's Health System Is Failing as Attacks Persist
(MENAFN) The World Health Organization (WHO) sounded the alarm Friday over relentless strikes on civilian infrastructure and mounting public health threats that are pushing Ukraine's battered health system to its limits, as the conflict grinds into its fifth consecutive year.
Addressing reporters in Geneva, WHO Representative in Ukraine Jarno Habicht revealed that more than 3,000 attacks on healthcare facilities and personnel have been documented since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
"The 3,011 attacks since 24 February 2022 have caused 239 deaths and 991 injuries, with every fifth attack affecting ambulances and medical transport," he said.
Habicht disclosed that the assault on Ukraine's health infrastructure has sharply intensified this year, with 582 verified incidents recorded in 2025 alone — approximately 20% above the figures logged in 2024. Strikes targeting health workers, patients, and medical facilities have shown no sign of abating.
Beyond the physical devastation, Habicht flagged a dangerous convergence of seasonal and structural risks as Ukraine moves into the summer months. Extreme heat, degraded infrastructure, and disrupted essential services are creating fertile conditions for outbreaks of waterborne, foodborne, and vector-borne diseases, particularly across the country's vulnerable southern and eastern regions.
The human toll on mental and physical wellbeing has been equally severe. WHO data shows two in three Ukrainians report their health has deteriorated since before the war. Over the past year, every second person has reported a significant worsening of their condition — with sleep disorders affecting 71% of those surveyed, headaches and migraines reported by 59%, and anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorders cited by 54%.
Habicht confirmed that the WHO has delivered 320 metric tons of medical supplies to Ukraine so far in 2025 and continues to prop up strained health services across the country. He nonetheless stressed with urgency that sustained international funding and renewed global solidarity are critically needed to prevent a full-scale collapse of the system.
Addressing reporters in Geneva, WHO Representative in Ukraine Jarno Habicht revealed that more than 3,000 attacks on healthcare facilities and personnel have been documented since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
"The 3,011 attacks since 24 February 2022 have caused 239 deaths and 991 injuries, with every fifth attack affecting ambulances and medical transport," he said.
Habicht disclosed that the assault on Ukraine's health infrastructure has sharply intensified this year, with 582 verified incidents recorded in 2025 alone — approximately 20% above the figures logged in 2024. Strikes targeting health workers, patients, and medical facilities have shown no sign of abating.
Beyond the physical devastation, Habicht flagged a dangerous convergence of seasonal and structural risks as Ukraine moves into the summer months. Extreme heat, degraded infrastructure, and disrupted essential services are creating fertile conditions for outbreaks of waterborne, foodborne, and vector-borne diseases, particularly across the country's vulnerable southern and eastern regions.
The human toll on mental and physical wellbeing has been equally severe. WHO data shows two in three Ukrainians report their health has deteriorated since before the war. Over the past year, every second person has reported a significant worsening of their condition — with sleep disorders affecting 71% of those surveyed, headaches and migraines reported by 59%, and anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorders cited by 54%.
Habicht confirmed that the WHO has delivered 320 metric tons of medical supplies to Ukraine so far in 2025 and continues to prop up strained health services across the country. He nonetheless stressed with urgency that sustained international funding and renewed global solidarity are critically needed to prevent a full-scale collapse of the system.
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