SW News: Precisely 15 months into the war in Ukraine, the majority of WHO member states voted on Wednesday to denounce the catastrophic health effects brought on by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The World Health Organization's annual decision-making assembly, which was held in Geneva this year, issued a resolution calling on Moscow to stop all attacks on hospitals in Ukraine immediately and expressing worry for the wider health effects in the area.

By a vote of 80 to 9, with 52 abstentions, member states supported the text. The body decided "to strongly condemn the Russian Federation's continued aggression against Ukraine, including attacks on healthcare facilities... as well as widespread attacks on civilians and vital civilian infrastructure."

Together with 42 other states, Ukraine proposed the resolution. With the exception of Hungary, which abstained from voting, all 27 members of the European Union co-sponsored the text. Russia was one of the nations that voted against the resolution's drafting, along with Algeria, Belarus, China, Cuba, North Korea, and Syria.

In response to the Russian Federation's actions against Ukraine, the resolution expressed serious concerns over the ongoing health emergency in Ukraine and refugee-receiving and -hosting countries.

The risks of radiological, biological, and chemical events and hazards as well as the escalation of the global food security problem were among these worries. The resolution urged Russia to "immediately cease any attacks on hospitals and other health care facilities" and called for unhindered access to people in need of assistance.

Ukraine's ambassador Yevheniia Filipenko said the support for Kyiv's resolution is a sign of hope for more than 14 million Ukrainians in need of health assistance and a demonstration of unity with the nation's medical professionals. She said the vote demonstrated to Moscow that massive attacks on health care are not tolerated.

Russia and Syria also brought forward a draft resolution of their own, which was rejected by 62 votes to 13, with 61 abstentions.