Ukraine’s Health Crisis Deepens as War Enters Fifth Year

As Ukraine enters the fifth year of full-scale war, its people are experiencing the highest number of attacks on their healthcare system on record, with a nearly 20% increase in attacks compared to 2024. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) has documented at least 2,881 attacks on healthcare facilities in Ukraine, impacting health workers, hospitals, ambulances, and medical warehouses.

Dual Pressures on Ukraine’s Health Services

Ukraine’s health services are facing intense pressure from two primary sources: direct attacks on healthcare infrastructure and the cascading effects of strikes on civilian infrastructure, particularly thermal power plants. Damage to these plants has created significant gaps in essential health services for the population. A WHO assessment conducted in December 2025 revealed that 59% of individuals in frontline areas reported their health as poor or very poor, compared to 47% in non-frontline areas.

WHO Response and Concerns

“After four years of war, health needs are increasing, but many people are unable to get the care they need, in part because hospitals and clinics are routinely attacked,” stated Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. The WHO is working to supply hospitals with resources to stay warm and ensure access to essential medicines. Dr. Tedros emphasized that “the best medicine is peace.”

In 2025, WHO’s support reached 1.9 million people across Ukraine through service delivery, medical supplies, referrals, and capacity-building initiatives, with a strong focus on frontline and hard-to-reach locations.

Growing Health Needs and Systemic Challenges

Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, highlighted the severity of the situation, stating, “Four years of war has created a serious health crisis in Ukraine.” Mental health needs are particularly acute, with 72% of people surveyed reporting anxiety or depression in the past year, yet only one in five seeking help. Cardiovascular disease is as well on the rise, affecting one in four Ukrainians with dangerously high blood pressure. 8 out of 10 people report difficulty accessing the medicines they need.

Access to rehabilitation services remains severely limited, with only 4% of hospitals providing inpatient rehabilitation and 3% offering assistive technologies like prosthetics. Access to medicines is a persistent barrier, with 4 out of 5 people reporting difficulties, primarily due to high prices (71%).

Escalating Attacks and Infrastructure Damage

Attacks on healthcare intensified in 2025, peaking in the third quarter with 184 attacks resulting in 12 deaths and 110 injuries to health workers and patients. Attacks on medical warehouses tripled compared to the previous year, disrupting critical supply chains. Over the past four years, 233 health workers and patients have been killed, and 930 injured in attacks on healthcare, constituting violations of international humanitarian law.

This winter has been the harshest since the war began, with strikes on energy infrastructure leaving millions without heating, electricity, and water. In Kyiv alone, a January 2026 attack left nearly 6,000 buildings without heat, prompting an estimated 600,000 residents to flee the capital.

“What we are witnessing in Ukraine is a devastating cycle,” said Dr. Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative to Ukraine. “A heating station is struck and thousands of homes lose heat within hours. At –20°C, water in the pipes freezes, bursts them, floods buildings with ice. Repairs are made, then the next attack starts it all over again.”

WHO’s Ongoing Operate and Future Needs

In 2025, WHO focused on reaching vulnerable communities through crisis response, recovery efforts, and rehabilitation programs. This included delivering trauma care and medical supplies to 954 facilities, supporting over 1,200 medical evacuations, and conducting outreach in 131 hard-to-reach locations. The WHO also provided 284 generators to health facilities across 23 oblasts in Ukraine.

For 2026, WHO is appealing for US$42 million in funding to sustain its work in Ukraine and protect access to care for 700,000 people.