The War in Ukraine: Social and Medical Perspective

Abstract

This review discusses social and medical aspects of the war in Ukraine. If the world is becoming multipolar, armed conflicts of various magnitude may become permanent. International tension contributes to the increase in the birth rate: it is believed that the population growth strengthens defences and sovereignty. Environmental degradation and the depletion of non-renewable resources are proportional to the population size. A reasonable option would be the global leadership centred in developed countries. Potential benefits include conflict prevention, environmental and population management, taking into account ecological and economic conditions in different regions. Large projects can be implemented to improve the quality of life and create jobs, which would be a reasonable alternative to excessive military spending. If the global power shifts to Russia, it will come along with losses of certain values. The quality of many services, products and foodstuffs will decline. Autocratic management style would spread also in the healthcare and science. Several examples from the field of healthcare are discussed here. Confidence-building measures, international trust and reliability are needed. Ukraine must become a testing ground for the international cooperation.