First the Covid-19 pandemic and now a war. The right to health of the people of Ukraine is under immense pressure. Viva Salud condemns the Russian invasion and calls for a de-escalation of the conflict. We need an active peace policy and international cooperation to meet the great challenges of our time, not new wars.
Illegal military aggression
On Thursday 24 February, Russia illegally invaded Ukraine after months of escalating tensions with NATO. Russian violence has already resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians, large-scale destruction of key infrastructure and a massive influx of refugees. 1.7 million Ukrainians are currently on the run. According to the United Nations (UN), this figure could rise to 5 million if the conflict continues.
The Russian invasion is a flagrant violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and an affront to international law. Viva Salud condemns them in the strongest terms. We demand that Russia immediately cease its military activities in Ukraine. It must respect Ukraine's territorial integrity.
It is absolutely crucial to show our solidarity with the civilian population in Ukraine and with the thousands of peace activists in Russia who continue to stand up courageously against this criminal war. This is why we are asking you to take part in the actions of the Belgian peace movement.
The right to health at risk
The Russian invasion is an absolute disaster for the Ukrainian people's right to health. The most vulnerable groups will bear the brunt of the consequences. Firstly, there is the direct impact of the bombardments and other military violence on the physical safety and mental health of the population. According to the UN, more than 350 civilians have already died and more than 750 others have been injured.
The Russian bombardments have also caused serious damage to essential infrastructure, such as the electricity network, water pipes, gas supplies and even hospitals. This is seriously compromising access to healthcare. Non-urgent care is being postponed to help the war-wounded, and some health staff have fled. The consequences for the health of the Ukrainian population will be felt quickly and severely.
What's more, if the conflict continues, food security will be jeopardised. Not just in Ukraine, but throughout the world. North Africa and the Middle East, for example, import more than 50 % of their cereals, and much of their wheat and barley comes from Ukraine and Russia. The sharp rise in the price of these agricultural products and gas is a tragedy for workers around the world.
The situation is made all the more serious by the fact that Russian troops invaded Ukraine just as the country was trying to cope with a violent spike in coronavirus contamination. In mid-February, 60% of Covid-19 tests in Ukraine were positive. The number of infections will continue to rise, and the risk of new variants of the virus appearing worldwide could increase.
Keeping a certain distance, wearing mouth masks or observing a quarantine period in wartime is almost impossible. People are crammed into shelters or trains, and the lack of drinking water is always detrimental to general hygiene. Wartime situations are therefore always the best friends of infectious diseases. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 65% of infectious diseases in the 1990s broke out in conflict zones or among people fleeing their homes.
Finally, the war disrupted Ukraine's Covid-19 vaccination campaign, with only 35 % of the population vaccinated. Other important public health programmes, such as HIV and tuberculosis, are also under threat.
Although Ukraine has made great strides in improving the health of its population since joining the WHO in 1994, this progress is now in danger of being wiped out in an instant by Russia's illegal offensive. In times of war, it is clear that social justice is not possible. This is why the violence must stop as soon as possible.
Rapid de-escalation
If we want to guarantee the Ukrainian people's right to health, the Russian invasion and violence must stop as soon as possible. Viva Salud calls on our political leaders to keep a cool head and not add fuel to the fire. Military support for Ukraine and further expansion of NATO only threaten to fuel the conflict. Given the nuclear capabilities of Russia and the NATO countries, this option is a threat to life.
The only place this conflict can end is at the negotiating table. The Belgian government and the European Commission must do everything in their power to defuse the situation. We therefore need an active peace policy that respects the security concerns of all parties to the conflict. Only in this way can we meet the great challenges of our time across borders.
