Examing the pre-war health burden for Ukraine prioritisation by European countries receiving Ukrainian refugees

The recent escalation of conflict after the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, has already displaced 2,800,000 Ukrainian refugees, 1  and the number is expected to rise in days ahead. Ukrainians can move freely between European Union Member States (EU MS) for up to 90 days, while the Council of the European Union has approved for the first time the adoption of the Temporary Protection Directive, which will allow a one-year, renewable permit to reside and to access essential services (including health assistance) in all EU MS. 2  This will possibly facilitate a fair distribution of refugees beyond Western Balkans, already struggling with migration flows in recent years. Once entitlement to health assistance is formalized in all EU MS, there are some major aspects of the Ukraine health profile that should be considered to forecast refugees’ health needs.