The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the health conditions of those living in Ukraine are declining due to the country's ongoing conflict with Russian-backed forces, Reuters reported.
The international health agency noted that the violent clashes between the two opposing forces have prevented people from acquiring proper healthcare services.
During a press briefing in Geneva, a representative from WHO reported that people in Ukraine are at risk of contracting different kinds of diseases including tuberculosis, polio and measles.
WHO mentioned that the number of people with tuberculosis in Ukraine has increased by about 40 percent ever since the conflict started.
Although vaccines could easily protect the people from diseases, the delivery of medical drugs to various parts of the country has been stopped due to the clashes.
"We have special concerns for children, infants and the lack of vaccines," WHO representative Dr. Dorit Nitzan told members of the press.
"Ukraine in the past month had no vaccines in the country," the doctor added.
Cities that are most affected by the worsening health conditions are Donetsk and Luhansk. Since militant groups have gained almost total control over these cities, the Ukrainian government has stopped supplying Donetsk and Luhansk with basic services.
"The government had decided to cut the services to Luhanks and Donetsk cities, to the areas under militants' control," Nitzan explained.
Although this is an attempt by the government to put pressure on the hostile forces, the innocent civilians residing in these cities are the ones who are most affected.
Aside from the lack of food in these two areas, the water and power supplies in hospitals and other public healthcare facilities have also been cut off.
As a solution to the pressing matter, WHO has accepted the request of Ukraine's health ministry to oversee the distribution procedures of vaccines, medicines and other essential items in various cities in the country.
The agency's first step is to deploy emergency units to cater to the needs of those in the conflict-ridden areas of Ukraine.
