More than 2000 emergency medical service first responders and clinicians have been trained in chemical preparedness and response, including the proper use of personal protective equipment and the decontamination of patients after exposure to toxic chemicals.
Since the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, health-care workers have been trained in reducing injuries and mortalities in response to any potential incidents involving toxic chemicals among civilian populations.
“It is highly important that health-care workers are fully prepared for any potential hazards during the war, and we are grateful to our international and national partners for their collaboration in this regard,” explained Dr Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative in Ukraine.
“WHO in Ukraine has been training health-care workers across a range of needs according to international best practices and will continue to do so both now and in the future.”
The trainings were organized and held by WHO in Ukraine with the collaboration of international agencies to help cover the training needs, and included engagement with the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.
WHO in Ukraine supports the efforts of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine to assess and build capacity to manage onsite operations related to incident response and chemical hazards. This is tied closely with the work of Ukraine’s emergency medical services and the Center for Disaster Medicine in the areas of incident response, mass casualty management, pre-hospital clinical management and evacuation.
Financial support for the trainings was provided by the Government of Germany.