Every day, infectious disease specialist Yevhen Shcherbyna combats not just infections, but also misinformation. Over years of work, he has come across plenty of myths and prejudices that have hampered patients’ recoveries. And in the current pandemic, misinformation has sometimes led to fatal consequences.
“A huge part of my work is related to combating misinformation,” says Shcherbyna. “I have my own blog where I educate patients, and it may also help save lives. A lot of people have died not only from COVID-19, but also as a result of fake treatments that they have heard about on the Internet.”
Combating infection
“I started my career as a nurse in a department of infectious intestinal diseases,” says Shcherbyna. “That was when I realized that I enjoy treating people, and that I should continue my professional path in this direction.”
Doctor Shcherbyna says that awareness raising is essential in preventing the spread of infectious diseases, and ensuring patients get suitable treatment.
“We have got to change our approaches, especially concerning hepatitis B prevention,” he explains.
“A lot of patients get infected in their childhood because of late vaccination. Parents might lack knowledge about the disease and its associated risks. And that’s exactly what we have to tackle.”
A particularly difficult challenge
“As an infectious disease specialist, I am trained to diagnose communicable diseases,” he says. “During each COVID-19 wave, it’s very tempting to suspect the coronavirus is the cause of every fever. But we should not forget about other conditions – both communicable and noncommunicable ones. That’s especially important given how dangerous COVID-19 can be for people with diabetes, heart disease or other chronic conditions.”
Doctor Shcherbyna highlights that there should be a balance between tackling the pandemic and treating other conditions that could take the lives of millions of people if not treated or prevented in time. Still, he agrees that COVID-19 has been a particularly difficult challenge. This has been the first time he has experienced losing patients. “You try your best, yet they still die. That’s something that’s very difficult to accept,” he says.
Socioeconomic, environmental and behavioural factors foster the spread of communicable diseases that pose a significant threat to human health. To support countries in tackling the challenge of communicable diseases, WHO implements disease prevention and control programmes aligned with the best international practices and standards, and helps countries address disease risk factors.
The year 2021 has been designated by WHO as the International Year of Health and Care Workers in appreciation of and gratitude for their unwavering dedication in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
This story has been developed by the WHO Country Office in Ukraine, with financial assistance from the European Union (EU) within the EU and WHO initiative on health system development in Ukraine, and is part of a series of stories showcasing Ukrainian health care workers.