ID: 1874
Presenting Author: Mirko Winkler
Session: 626 - Disasters, Conflict and Impact Assessment: What is up, what is down, what is coming around?
Status: pending
We conducted an HIA scoping study of the integrated essential services – energy, water and food supplies, health services, and wastewater management – in Kharkivska Oblast, Ukraine.
The Kharkivska Oblast in Ukraine has suffered extensive destruction as a result of the ongoing war with Russia. Cities such as Kharkiv have experienced heavy shelling, which has damaged essential infrastructure and critical services. The conflict has affected hundreds of thousands of residents and created severe humanitarian and reconstruction challenges. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) commissioned a scoping study for a health impact assessment (HIA) of the integrated essential services – energy, water and food supplies, health services, and wastewater management – in Kharkivska Oblast. The scoping study aimed to identify priority public health issues arising from disruptions or changes in the delivery of essential services. In this initial stage of the HIA process, various sources of health-related information, including literature, secondary data, and stakeholder opinions, were synthesised to inform evidence-based reflections on the most significant public health issues related to the ongoing war. Additionally, critical data gaps were identified that need to be addressed to enable a quantitative assessment of the significance of health impacts associated with the delivery of essential services in Kharkivska Oblast. The ultimate objectives of the HIA are to provide an order of magnitude for current issues of high public health relevance in Kharkivska Oblast, and to reflect on the ICRC’s capacity to respond to priority health concerns, either through direct intervention or advocacy.
Mirko Winkler is Professor of Urban Public Health at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) and an internationally recognised expert in Health Impact Assessment.