The war against Russia has heavily affected the country’s facilities. With supplies coming from around the world, it’s easy for infections to run wild, which is what happened when polio entered the Ukraine. While the polio was expected to drown Ukraine, the country managed to pull through, thanks to the perseverance of people determined to rid the country of this disease. Thanks to the efforts of global partners, the country successfully avoided a potential polio outbreak in Ukraine.

Background

Polio is a disease that causes paralysis, primarily in children under 5. The disease is highly infectious and transmitted through contaminated food or water. The last time polio cases were detected in Ukraine was in 2016, caused by the lack of an efficient health care system. The country went through a reform, but it was not easy. Corruption plagues the country, with health care money going towards corrupt individuals. As a result, the price of medicine and vaccines went up. From 2016 onwards, Ukraine took major strides to reform its health care, ensuring it was accessible to as many people as possible. Through these efforts, Ukraine ensured another polio outbreak would never happen again, with 83% of young children vaccinated for polio in 2019. 

The war with Russia halted this progression, sending Ukraine into distress. On the health side, things were just as bad. The destruction of various medical institutes led to the delayed delivery of multiple medical supplies. The progress to protect the health of the citizens had slowed down, with only 53% of one-year-olds receiving vaccinations for Polio by October 2021. The displacement of a majority of the population did not help this deficit. Nearly one million people fled across the borders of Ukraine, and with them, the risk of polio spreading to other countries. With all this chaos in the air, something disastrous was bound to happen. 

Efforts to Combat a Potential Polio Outbreak in Ukraine

In October 2021, polio was detected in Ukraine from a young boy. The polio had stemmed from an infection that traced back to Pakistan, one of the few countries still dealing with polio. The disruption in water and food made the polio very transmittable. Soon enough, 19 people tested positive for polio but showed no symptoms by December 2021. This increase led to an action plan to prioritize young children who had not received a vaccine. Unfortunately, that approach proved more difficult than planned. 

With a campaign in place, the delivery began in February 2022. Considering the dangerous situation in Ukraine, the supplies proved challenging to deliver. WHO, the World Health Organization, assisted in delivering the vaccines. While the campaign initially went smoothly, things became harder when Russians invaded the area. Citizens had to scatter, interrupting the progress of health care workers. With thirty-four hospitals destroyed, the goal to rid polio seemed dire. There were still 100,000 children who required vaccination. Despite this disruption, international health organizations remained steadfast in their eradication of polio. GPEI, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, assisted WHO in distributing the vaccines to citizens still in Ukraine, setting up laboratories to help with the process. To ensure the disease does not emerge from outside the country, UNICEF set up vaccine stations along refugee routes. No matter the difficulty, the teams continued to push forward, dedicated to protecting the people of Ukraine. Thankfully, through the hard work of many, UNICEF delivered 890,000 doses of inactivated polio vaccine to Ukraine by 2023, with a large majority being administered to the remaining citizens in need of vaccination. 

In May 2023, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative partners conducted an assessment. After testing most of the Ukrainian population, they determined they had eradicated polio within their borders. Ukraine had overcome polio. Ukraine is still not in the clear. Because of its vulnerable position, polio can still enter the country. Thankfully, The Ministry of Health has dedicated efforts to ensuring that another outbreak does not occur. 

Final Thoughts

Through combined efforts, one of the most deadly diseases has been stopped during one of the deadliest times of war. It is a testament to what belief and hope in a cause can do for an entire population. If Ukraine can overcome polio, they can certainly do anything they want. 

– Uzair Khan
Photo: Flickr