Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health, March 9, 2022
Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health is an international non-profit organization, comprising many of the largest and most influential schools of Public Health in the Asia-Pacific region and dedicated to improving professional education for public health. The consortium is committed to respect for diversity, equity, and ethics in the implementation of its vision to improve the health and well-being of populations.
We resolutely condemn the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia military forces, which started on February 24th, 2022. We view this unprovoked aggression and the breach of Ukraine sovereignty as a humanitarian emergency with long-term consequences for public health in Ukraine and beyond its borders.
The deaths and casualties among civilians, including children are rising every day. Civilian facilities, residential homes and hospitals are being bombed and destroyed by Russian army. The infrastructure essential for public health services has already been severely damaged, including roads, sanitation, electricity, supply chains of drinkable water and food. The number of Ukrainian refugees forced to flee their homes has neared 2 million people within the two weeks of the invasion.
As public health professionals, we are concerned not only with the immediate threats posed by this war but with the public health risks and grave long-term consequences for population health.
The damaged public health system cannot timely respond to the emerging infectious diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine is currently uncontrolled. Understaffed hospitals and clinics are unable to provide adequate healthcare to the general population, including pregnant women and children.
Witnessing bombings and deaths, demolition of residential buildings, food and water insecurity, absence of warm shelter in the winter temperatures below zero extend the population burden beyond the basic physical needs. People are scared and traumatized, many will experience deteriorated mental health and well-being for years, dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression. The more vulnerable populations are the most affected, especially children, as their development is being impeded by war trauma.
Russian attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, the largest of its kind in Europe, nearly resulted in a radioactivity leakage manifold exceeding the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, which could lead to a global ecological catastrophe ().
Russian invasion of Ukraine is a blunt violation of international trust and basic human rights, including the right to life and the right to health. It brings unnecessary suffering and senseless cruelty to the people of Ukraine. The threat to a democratically-elected government of Ukraine from Russian invasion is a threat to other democratic countries in the region and in the World.
We call for:
- the immediate stop of Russian invasion and rapid withdrawal of Russian troops from the Ukraine territory supervised by international monitors from either the United Nations or the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe;
and - wide international support aimed at a faster restoration of the damage already done to the healthcare system of Ukraine and to the health of Ukrainian population.
We express our solidarity with the people living in Ukraine and Ukrainian who were forced to leave their country due to the Russian invasion. We also support Russian citizens who are speaking out against the war at great personal risk, as Russian government brutally suppresses any public expression of the anti-war opinions.
“Health is a human right, and Peace is the most important pre-condition for health. Stop the war.”
This letter is signed by Prof Alex Waits, Prof Song-Lie Huang, Prof Masamine Jimba.
