Research In Ukraine, during the full-scale war, the proportion of children vaccinated against DPT (diphtheria-tetanus-cough) and polio decreased.
As an Ukrinform correspondent reports, this is evidenced by the results of a pilot study of the welfare of children in Ukraine after two years of full-scale invasion “Future Index”, which are presented in the “Ukrainian House”.
“The impact of the war was manifested very seriously in such an indicator as a decrease in the proportion of vaccinated children in Ukraine against CPV and polio. In general, before the full-scale invasion, the dynamics were positive. In fact, from year to year the proportion of children receiving mandatory doses for these diseases increased, but, of course, with such a great shock as a full-scale invasion, the proportion of these children began to fall significantly. In fact, as of 2023, we see a huge gap with pre-war indicators,” said Olga Rybak, head of the study. In particular, the level of vaccination against CPV in Ukraine in 2023 is 37% lower than in EU countries. /p>
The study also showed that 13% of children 14-17 years old systematically drink alcohol, and 16% use cigarettes. In particular, boys are more likely than girls to smoke and drink alcohol. In addition, 5 out of 10 children have tried smoking at least once.
According to the study, 7 out of 10 children rate their health as good, but only 4 feel energetic.
The study was developed at the initiative of the Elena Zelenskaya Foundation and the Kiev School of Economics and with the support of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Ukraine.
Data for the study was collected from five different sources: government sources, open sources, a quantitative survey of children, interviews with experts and people who were raised in the institutional care system.
The online survey was conducted among representative sample of the Ukrainian population aged 10-17 years. 1,313 interviews were conducted throughout Ukraine (except for the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine before and after February 24, 2022).
The results of this pilot study will form the basis for the development of public policies aimed at improving the living conditions and future of children in Ukraine .
As reported, to ensure immunization of children in 2024, 340 thousand doses of oral polio vaccine were delivered to Ukraine.
