As the war in Ukraine rises to new levels of horror, maternal health and birth rates are experiencing more drastic effects. Kherson is being firebombed, maternity hospitals are working in order to continue birthing babies. They are under constant threat from Russian military operations. This is one reason why expectant mothers are experiencing an unprecedented crisis. Their dreams of safe, healthy childbirth become a memory, as the unrelenting grip of war serves to cruelly snuff out hope.
Morning of July 29, Kateryna Osetsymska—with flowers for a new life at Kherson maternity hospital No. 1. By 33 weeks pregnant, doctors put Jennifer in the high-risk category. She went on to explain the intimidation factor that fills the spaces where she looks for health services. “You can’t erase the horrible stuff we have been through with this war,” Osetsymska shared, expressing her hopes for her child’s future amid uncertainty. Her experience illustrates the heartbreaking plight of many women throughout Ukraine. They heroically face the threat of maternal mortality while contending with a warzone.
The Situation in Kherson
Ever since Russia launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Kherson has been under constant bombardment. These attacks have used a range of weapons including tanks, guided aerial bombs, drones, and multi-launch rocket systems. These attacks have critically damaged the facilities and infrastructure of medical institutions. In Kherson, maternity hospital No. 2 has been struck five times. To continue delivering these vital public services, it has taken operations underground by converting a repurposed basement into its new subterranean headquarters.
The overall statistics around births in Kherson are penetratingly terrifying. Until then, the hospital had been handling 1,500 to 2,000 births per year. Unfortunately, that number has dropped to a mere 120 because the violence and instability throughout the region has continued to increase. The heartbreaking state of affairs has caused so much fear for pregnant women and medical professionals. As of this posting, Russian forces were a mere 0.5 miles from the hospital — terrifyingly close.
The toll on human life is staggering. As a result, this year alone, nearly 100 people have been killed and more than 1,100 injured in Kherson by conflict-related violence. According to Osetsymska, pregnant women experience the most burdened psychological trauma stemming from these occurrences. Like any parent and global citizen, she hopes for a safer, more peaceful future for her child. “But my greatest wish was for my child to survive,” she said. I want them to be able to experience the freedom of childhood.
A Broader Crisis in Ukraine
The crisis is not only limited to Kherson, affecting major urban centers like Kharkiv and Sloviansk. Prior to the 2022 invasion, the Kharkiv hospital was birthing close to 1,000 babies annually. By last year, that figure was less than 440. This decline is largely being fueled by the mass exodus of women of child-bearing age. Two-thirds of them have escaped Kharkiv, as families seek refuge outside the reach of active hostilities.
Sloviansk has similarly experienced a shocking demographic implosion since the start of fighting. The city’s population has halved from over 100,000 to approximately 53,000 residents. As a result, the number of births at the Sloviansk hospital has dropped from over 1,000 per year to just over 550. Daily life in Sloviansk now revolves around the fear of death and destruction. Her words are reiterated by Liliia Eroshenko, “There is no longer any safe place in Sloviansk.”
Expectant mothers at risk of life-threatening deliveries without timely access to hospitals while living under the daily fear of aerial attacks. Olga Shevela experienced this firsthand when she went into labor. She had to travel to the hospital while Shahed drones buzzed overhead. Hours after her delivery, she needed to join the hospital’s bomb shelter as about 20 sonic booms shook the city.
Attacks on Medical Facilities
Even more troubling, the ongoing conflict has made hospitals targets. Documented reports show that there have been more than 2,000 attacks on health facilities in Ukraine during this conflict. Among these, at least 81 incidents directly affected access to maternal care and maternity wards. These types of attacks only deepen the birthrate crisis in a country that is already dealing with a myriad of other crises.
Vitalii Chernetskyi, an advocate for maternal health in Ukraine, poignantly expressed the sentiment shared by many: “Children are our happiness – they should be born.” This statement reflects a deep yearning for normalcy amid chaos and highlights the resilience of families striving to bring new life into a world fraught with danger.
Continue reading Child birth amidst war As maternal health services bear the brunt of conflict, pregnant women continue to be optimistic Looking towards a better future. Though faced with unimaginable circumstances, their fight to defend their children is nothing short of incredible.