The WHO Country Office in Ukraine has conducted 2 rounds of quantitative studies to assess health needs and access to health services among the adult population in Ukraine.
The Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 has caused a deterioration in the level of access to health-care services and medicines in the country, particularly for people living in regions close to the frontline and areas that are partially controlled by the Government of Ukraine, and for people who have been internally displaced.
The findings show that the country’s health system remains resilient and that overall access to health services remains fairly high. However, results also show that more than half of those who sought various types of health care faced at least one problem, with the main barriers being the cost of medicines and treatment, and challenges relating to time and transport.
Of those respondents who encountered problems while seeking care, 3/4 were people with chronic conditions. At the same time, more than 1/5 of respondents did not consult a doctor when needed, listing the main reasons as self-treatment, insignificant health problems and high costs.
Residents of regions that are experiencing or have experienced hostilities remain more vulnerable than people in other regions. The data shows that they have a lower level of access to family doctors and medicines. Among people who were internally displaced, 1/5 have no access to a family doctor.
The first round of the health needs assessment was conducted in September 2022, and the second in December. Evidence shows that access to medicines significantly improved between the 2 rounds overall. Barriers to access to health-care services – such as the unavailability of medicines, the closure of pharmacies, long lines and security concerns – decreased by up to 3 fold.