Day 14

One minute of medical help for a person in Ukraine

When the trip to the doctor becomes a safety risk When the trip to the doctor becomes a safety risk

Medical aid for victims of the war in Ukraine

An armed conflict has been raging in eastern Ukraine for more than five years. It takes about 24 hours to get there by car from Germany across Europe. There are about 40 armed clashes a day along the contact line, as the border between the pro-Russian forces and the Ukrainian army is called. Since the beginning of the political and military crisis, the situation in the two provinces of the Donbass region, Donesk and Luhansk, has been alarming. The vast majority of the 5.2 million inhabitants are suffering from rapidly deteriorating living conditions. Poverty, disease and mental illness are the consequences of this war for people on both sides of the contact line.

need

Medical treatment for people in Eastern Ukraine.

activity

Mobile medical teams treat people in need on site.

Measurable performance

Number of people who were helped through medical treatment and counseling.

Result

People get access to medical care. Chronic diseases and acute illnesses are treated.

Systemically relevant impact

The health of people in eastern Ukraine is improving.

background

In 2013 and 2014, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in Kiev against the government at the time. They demonstrated because the Ukrainian government had unexpectedly announced that it would not sign the Association Agreement with the European Union. The protests were also directed directly against President Viktor Yanukovych. The population accused him of corruption and demanded his resignation. After Yanukovych fled, Russian soldiers occupied the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed shortly afterwards. At the same time, separatists in the eastern regions, with Russia's support, proclaimed the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics. This led to ongoing armed conflicts. The separatists fought for the secession of the two People's Republics they proclaimed, Donetsk and Luhansk, from Ukraine. Despite various attempts at mediation, peace in eastern Ukraine has not yet been restored.

The civilian population in particular is suffering from the conflict and the unstable security situation. Many houses are damaged and the electricity and gas supplies in the regions are unreliable. In general, health care is actually quite good in large parts of Ukraine, but in eastern Ukraine there is a particular lack of doctors to ensure medical care. More than three million people still need humanitarian aid today. Older people with disabilities are suffering particularly badly from the conflict and poor care. Almost 50 percent of patients in the region's medical facilities are over 60 years old, most of whom are female (Doctors of the World, 2018). The long distances to the nearest clinic and thus access to emergency care represent an insurmountable obstacle for many people. The majority of the elderly population suffers from at least one chronic illness. Many cannot afford the necessary medication. In addition to general medical care, many people also need psychological help.

The good deed

With your good deed today, you are making medical treatment possible for a resident of the Luhansk province. Volunteers from the Doctors of the World organization and medical specialists in two mobile medical teams treat people on site in 20 different health facilities. The patients receive both general medical and psychological treatment. Teams also carry out educational work, as violence against women occurs time and again in the conflict region. If necessary, those affected are also referred to hospitals. If the patients cannot afford this, the Doctors of the World organization also covers the costs incurred. Medicines are particularly expensive in the region, so the teams also supply people with medicines. The aim is to improve medical care and help as many people in need as possible until the military conflict comes to an end.