All those who are working with children now are agents of the future. This was stated by First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska in her address to the participants of the Fourth Autumn Nursing Forum in Lviv. The theme of this year's event is “Nursing for the Protection of Childhood.”
The wife of the President thanked Ukrainian nurses for their work. She emphasized that now, in the face of constant missile and drone attacks, they all contribute to our country's defense.
“In the first minutes after the Russian bombing of Okhmatdyt, it was medical personnel, including nurses and doctors, who responded quickly and saved children from the consequences of the attack. That is why the title of your event, “Nursing for the Protection of Childhood,” is so meaningful today. You have always protected your young patients from diseases. And now you are also protecting them from war and all that war brings,” the First Lady said.
One of the event's panel discussions focused on the implementation of the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program “How Are You?”. In particular, participants talked about the integration of mental health services into the primary healthcare system. More than 108,000 healthcare workers have already been trained under the WHO mhGAP Program and have mastered the skills of helping with mental health issues.
“Children are now experiencing stress and anxiety just like adults. We are talking about almost 80% of Ukrainians. And it is very important for nurses to professionally identify these conditions and provide timely assistance so that these conditions do not turn into a traumatic experience for life,” Olena Zelenska emphasized.
The forum was attended by medical specialists from different regions of the country, representatives of the Ministry of Health, the Coordination Center for Mental Health, and various experts.