Meeting the long-term health needs of Ukrainian refugees

Abstract

ObjectivesSince Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, millions of people have fled the country. Most people have gone to the neighbouring countries of Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova. This vulnerable population has significant healthcare needs. Among the most challenging to address will be chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including mental disorders, as these require long-term, continuous care and access to medicines. Host country health systems are faced with the challenge of ensuring accessible and affordable care for NCDs and mental disorders to this population. Our objectives were to review host country health system experiences and identify priorities for research to inform sustainable health system responses to the health care needs of refugees from Ukraine. Study DesignIn-person conference workshop. MethodsA workshop on this subject was held in November 2022 at the European Public Health Conference in Berlin. ResultsThe workshop included participants from academia and non-governmental organisations, health practitioners, and World Health Organisation regional and country offices. This short communication reports the main conclusions from the workshop. ConclusionAddressing the challenges and research priorities identified will require international solidarity and co-operation.