Medical supplies for Ukraine arrive in Poland on Thursday, says WHO

A first shipment of medical aid for Ukraine will arrive in Poland on Thursday (3), the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement on Wednesday (2).

Six tons of supplies for trauma care and emergency surgery will be delivered to meet the needs of 1,000 patients. Other health supplies to meet the needs of 150,000 people will also be delivered, WHO Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference in Geneva on Wednesday. He also emphasized the need for a humanitarian corridor to ensure supplies reach the people most in need.

According to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service, more than 2,000 Ukrainian civilians were killed as of Wednesday during the invasion of Russia. Russia continues with attacks on Ukraine this Wednesday (2) – watch CNN’s special coverage live. An new round of negotiations between the two countries was confirmed for todayaccording to an adviser to the Ukrainian government.

mental health alert

Tedros also issued a warning to all countries about stepping up mental health services and support due to Covid-19. According to the WHO, in the first year of the pandemic, the global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25%, according to a scientific summary released on Wednesday by the WHO. The summary also highlights who was most affected and summarizes the effect of the pandemic on the availability of mental health services and how this has changed during the pandemic.

Concerns about possible increases in mental health conditions have already led 90% of countries surveyed to include mental health and psychosocial support in their Covid-19 response plans, but concerns remain.

“The information we now have on the impact of Covid-19 on the world’s mental health is just the tip of the iceberg,” Tedros said. “This is a wake-up call for all countries to pay more attention to mental health and do a better job of supporting the mental health of their populations.”

stress factors

One of the main explanations for the increase is the unprecedented stress caused by social isolation resulting from the pandemic. Linked to this were restrictions on people’s ability to work, seek support from loved ones and engage in their communities.

Loneliness, fear of infection, suffering and death for oneself and loved ones, bereavement after grief, and financial worries were also cited as stressors that lead to anxiety and depression. Among health professionals, exhaustion has been an important trigger for suicidal thinking.

Young people and women: the hardest hit

The summary, which is informed by a comprehensive review of existing evidence on the impact of Covid-19 on mental health and mental health services, and includes estimates from the latest Global Burden of Disease study, shows that the pandemic has affected the mental health of many people. young people and who are at disproportionate risk of suicidal behavior and self-harm. It also indicates that women were more severely impacted than men and that people with pre-existing physical health conditions such as asthma, cancer and heart disease were more likely to develop symptoms of mental disorders.

The data suggest that people with pre-existing mental disorders do not appear to be disproportionately vulnerable to infection with the virus. However, when these people become infected, they are more likely to experience hospitalization, serious illness and death compared to people without mental disorders. People with more severe mental disorders, such as psychoses, and young people with mental disorders are particularly at risk.

care

This rise in the prevalence of mental health problems has coincided with severe disruptions to mental health services, leaving huge gaps in the care of those who need it most. During much of the pandemic, services for mental, neurological and substance use conditions were the most disrupted of all essential health services reported by WHO Member States. Many countries have also reported major disruptions to life-saving mental health services, including suicide prevention.

In late 2021, the situation improved somewhat, but today many people remain unable to get the care and support they need for pre-existing and newly developed mental health conditions.

Unable to access face-to-face care, many people sought support online, signaling the urgent need to make reliable and effective digital tools available that are easily accessible. However, developing and deploying digital interventions remains a major challenge in resource-constrained countries and environments.

Source: CNN Brasil

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