As a society dedicated to the care and treatment of people with pulmonary diseases, critical illnesses, and sleep disorders, we are appalled and saddened by the events in Ukraine. The human suffering caused by Russia’s invasion is already of staggering proportions; more than one million people have been displaced. Undoubtedly, the number of refugees will grow substantially as the war continues.
As the humanitarian crisis deepens, it will be crucial to provide critical care for trauma and other conditions along with health care for chronic (non-infectious) respiratory diseases and respiratory infections that commonly affect refugees but may be overlooked (e.g., tuberculosis).
In addition, there is cause for concern related to the negative impact on respiratory health of polluted air from debris and rubble in cities under attack. Refugees and others impacted by the war must receive prompt medical care, or the long-term impact of the conflict will expand exponentially, further burdening already overcrowded medical facilities.
We stand in solidarity with our Ukrainian colleagues. We call on all parties to establish the protocols necessary to treat civilians caught up in the conflict. Providing care and treatment of refugees and others directly affected by the violence in Ukraine must be a global priority.
Lynn M. Schnapp, MD, ATSF, President
Gregory P. Downey, MD, ATSF, President-Elect
Juan C. Celedón, MD, DrPH, ATSF, Immediate Past President
M. Patricia Rivera, MD, ATSF, Vice President
Irina Petrache, MD, ATSF, Secretary-Treasurer
Karen Collishaw, MPP, CAE, Executive Director
