Respiratory societies show support for Ukraine
March 14, 2022
Together with the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS), the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) supports Ukraine and the Ukrainian people
amid the Russian invasion.
“War is terrible in all of its forms. As human beings, witnessing the
death and destruction that are impacting our friends in Ukraine is
heartbreaking. As clinicians, we are even more aware of the impending
public health challenges that will result from the destruction of
hospitals, the paucity of health care providers, the epidemic of those
living without homes, and the destruction of infrastructure for the
delivery fresh water, food, and sanitation,” says CHEST President David
Schulman, MD, MPH, FCCP. “We stand with Ukraine and implore our
membership to support the initiatives helping those in need. Please
consider donating to the initiatives listed in the statement, which aim
to give support to refugees, provide medical aid packages, support
paramedics and doctors on the front line, and offer emergency responses
to children impacted by the conflict.”
In times of distress, support in all forms can be helpful. Thank you
for doing what you can to help support the people of Ukraine.
The full statement of support can be found below.
The Forum of International Respiratory Societies’ statement of support
for Ukraine following the Russian invasion
The Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) stands in
solidarity with the people of Ukraine as the unfolding humanitarian
disaster created by Russia’s invasion continues. We are deeply
concerned about the impact on the health and wellbeing of communities
in Ukraine and pledge our strong support to frontline workers, affected
members, partner organisations, and the 1,7 million people who have had
to flee their homes.
The displacement of thousands of people and the barrage of shelling
that damages sanitation and health infrastructures create a
humanitarian crisis with devastating health consequences, including
exacerbating respiratory diseases that have already escalated due to
COVID-19.
Ukrainian doctors and nurses have to postpone other care to focus on
treating the wounded, despite the desperate shortages of essential
hospital supplies, medicines and healthcare staff.
WHO
has warned that dangerously low oxygen reserves make it difficult to
treat severe respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia and growing
numbers of patients with COVID-19.
Compounding the risk to patients, critical hospital services are also
jeopardized by power shortages, and ambulances transporting patients
are in danger of getting caught in the crossfire. Thousands of lives
are at risk.
As we witness the escalation of atrocities, we call on our members
and the wider respiratory community to support humanitarian aid
initiatives for the Ukrainian people wherever possible.
Our FIRS partner, the European Respiratory Society, has collated a
list of initiatives giving support to refugees, providing medical
aid packages, supporting paramedics and doctors on the front line,
and offering emergency responses to children.
Please consider supporting one or more of these active humanitarian
aid initiatives:
Links to external sources of medical advice can be found in the ERS
disaster medicine
resource.
Alongside this call for support, the European Respiratory Society is
currently taking steps to suspend collaborations with Russian and
Belarusian societies.
The Forum of International Respiratory Societies
(FIRS) is an organisation comprised of the world's leading
international respiratory societies working together to improve lung
health globally. The goal of FIRS is to unify and enhance efforts to
improve lung health through the combined work of its more than 70,000
members globally.
FIRS comprises the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST),
American Thoracic Society (ATS), the Asian Pacific Society of
Respirology (APSR), Asociación Latino Americana De Tórax (ALAT),
European Respiratory Society (ERS), International Union Against
Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (The Union), Pan African Thoracic
Society (PATS), the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), and the Global
Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD).