WHO provides necessary assistive technologies to Ukrainians in emergencies
The World Health Organization (WHO) has been working with Ukraine’s Ministry of Health to implement a project to provide internally displaced persons in the country with vital assistive technologies.
Over the past year, the war in Ukraine has had a devastating effect on older and disabled people, WHO underlines. These population groups can be particularly vulnerable during conflicts and humanitarian crises, as they risk being neglected or deprived of essential services, including their assistive products.
People with disabilities and injuries may rely on assistive technology to maintain their independence and dignity and to access food, sanitation, and medical assistance.
As part of WHO and Ministry of Health’s project to address this assistive technology demand, specialised AT10 kits have been procured and distributed. Each kit contains 10 types of assistive products identified as most needed by Ukrainians in emergencies.
The kits include mobility aids, such as crutches, wheelchairs with pressure relief cushions, walking sticks, and walking frames, and self-care products, such as catheter kits, absorbent continence products, and toilet and shower chairs.
WHO has distributed AT10 kits to areas of Ukraine with the highest concentration of internally displaced persons. Each kit contains nearly 800 products and is accompanied by a service delivery framework, adapted to the context of an emergency.
Service providers use the specialised WHO Training in Assistive Products (TAP) online course to get better at selecting appropriate products, fitting them, and following up with users. The project is financially supported by ATscale and the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF).
One family benefitting from the AT10 project is Ruslana and her 14-year-old son, Klym.
When the war broke out, Ruslana and her family decided not to go down into the shelter, which was in the basement of a high-rise building. Instead, they hid in the bathroom, where the children sometimes slept.
The reason for this decision was the disability of Klym, Ruslana’s son. Due to cerebral palsy and spastic dysplasia, he cannot walk and uses a wheelchair. Multiple flights of stairs made the shelter inaccessible for the teenager.
As part of the AT10 project, Klym received a modern height-adjustable bathroom chair and a new wheelchair. His previous wheelchair was very old, did not fit well anymore, and needed a lot of maintenance.
Ruslana said about Klym’s new wheelchair: “Honestly, we were just shocked. It’s absolutely unreal. You can’t imagine how much easier it would have been for the child to move around if he had such an opportunity from the very beginning.”
It has always been important for the family that Klym experiences independence, especially when Ruslana attends to her online job. Assistive technology has made it possible for them to achieve this goal.
“I feel calm knowing that he is not lying in bed the whole time,” added Ruslana.
The first time Klym used a wheelchair in childhood, it was a life-changing experience.
“He could ride about, turn his chair at any angle. He even managed to open a bedside table to get his toys. Previously, he could only open it after our physical education classes, but now he gets everything himself while I’m working. I can say that he began to live a much fuller life.”