To improve the quality of health care services and reduce health risks for over 40 000 people in need in non-government controlled areas of Ukraine’s Luhansk region, WHO trained over 30 health workers on 23—25 January 2019. The training focused on supporting emergency health care specialists in trauma emergency care and lifesaving procedures.

After nearly five years of crisis in eastern Ukraine, millions of people on both sides of the contact line still need humanitarian assistance. A lack of trained health care workers and appropriate health care services can result in an increase in avoidable deaths, diseases and disabilities.

“WHO has been providing humanitarian assistance to people affected by the conflict in eastern Ukraine since the beginning of this crisis,” said Dr Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative in Ukraine.  “In a protracted emergency, it is crucial that we ensure that no one is left behind. The fundamental humanitarian principle of humanity – together with impartiality, independence and neutrality – is central to WHO’s emergency work.”

“Prompt medical intervention after injury affects the patient’s chances for survival and recovery. This is the principle adopted in the advanced trauma training,” added Dr Omar Saleh, a trauma care consultant for the WHO Emergency Programme in Ukraine. “We shared best practices and know-how from our international experience to anaesthesiologists, trauma care specialists and surgeons who are critical pillars in the survival chain. This is needed particularly in conflict-affected areas.”

The training was organized with the financial support of the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). Additionally, CERF funds enabled WHO to deliver medicines and medical supplies in eastern Ukraine’s non-government controlled areas.