Meeting the health needs of people fleeing Ukraine: Evidence from the Polish Nationwide General Hospital Morbidity Study, 2022–2023

Introduction

Refugee children, adults, and elderly individuals who have fled the war in Ukraine and stayed in Poland are still in need of our support. The combined impact of warfare and displacement presents a significant threat to their health, making them an especially vulnerable population.

This study aimed to evaluate the leading cause of hospital admissions among Ukrainian migrants and war refugees receiving hospital care in Poland in the years 2022-2023 in order to identify their changing health needs.

Methods

This study is based on the analysis of hospital admission records of Ukrainian patients retrieved from the Nationwide General Hospital Morbidity Study conducted by the National Institute of Public Health NIH-NRI. Two periods after the outbreak of the war were analyzed: 24.02.2022-31.12.2022 and 01.01.2023-31.12.2023.

Results

In the study period, 10 440 Ukrainians (including 5051 children) were hospitalized in Poland, 68.4% of whom were admitted to hospital in 2022.

The most frequently reported hospital events among Ukrainian migrants and war refugees in 2022, accounting for 12.9%, were pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium (O00-O99). Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88) were the second most frequently reported causes of hospitalization (10.7%). The third most significant reason for hospital admission was infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99), at 10.6%.

In 2023, the incidence of health problems among migrants and war refugees that resulted in hospital admissions changed, with pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium (O00-O99) being the most common (21.0%), followed by neoplasms (C00-D49), at 16.8%, and injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88), at 9.5%.

Conclusions

Our research findings may contribute to informing health policy planning and facilitating the provision of adequate healthcare in host countries. Health services should be sensitive to the changing needs of migrants and war refugees to optimize their health and well-being.