Is cholera and hepatitis a threat to Ukraine: Health Minister explains the situation
20 June 2024 21:33
Power outages could threaten Ukrainians with an outbreak of hepatitis and cholera epidemics. This opinion was expressed by the Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Lyashko in an interview with BBC Ukraine, reports "Komersant Ukrainian".
The head of the ministry explained that the situation in the country is no less critical now than it was when the Russian Armed Forces blew up the dam of the Kakhovka reservoir. Back then, faeces, remains from animal cemeteries and even hazardous substances from human graves that were washed away by the water got into drinking water sources.
Now the situation is aggravated by the fact that when the electricity is cut off, the water supply often stops. Stopping the water supply for a long period of time and then starting it up again can lead to the fact that the water route of transmission of infectious samples can come to the fore.
“We have already recorded last year, and there were outbreaks of hepatitis A virus associated with water. Therefore, prevention control centres and public utilities are working in an intensive mode to prevent the spread of the infection,” said Viktor Liashko.
The Minister of Health also named the infections that could threaten Ukrainians this summer due to the situation with the power grid and water supply interruptions. Among them:
- viral hepatitis
- gastroenterocolitis
- cholera
- botulism.
“The threat is posed by those infectious diseases that can be transmitted if basic hygiene standards are not followed. When fruit is not washed, hands are not washed […] This is botulism – there is no electricity, storage conditions are not met,” the Health Minister said.
