Ukraine's birth rate is falling dramatically. Forecasts by the competent authorities
Russia's war of aggression has led to a dramatic drop in the number of newborns. The neighbouring country's press reports that the birth rate was low even before the Russian invasion, but in the past year the phenomenon has become more acute. What's worse, forecasts are not optimistic.
In the early months of Russia's military invasion, when enemy forces were heavily attacking Ukrainian cities with missiles, women gave birth in the basements of maternity wards, which were adapted for wartime conditions. Ihor Shpac, a doctor from Odessa, says that at the time, they stayed in the shelters practically around the clock. But in recent months, he says, the number of women deciding to have a baby has dropped drastically.
"Before the war, 300 women used to give birth in a week, now - 100. We looked at the statistical dynamics of the number of registered pregnancies and the number who stayed to give birth here. We see a catastrophic decrease in this number."
Some women say they don't want to give birth for safety reasons for their children, while others say they don't want to leave Ukraine and it's too dangerous for a mother with a baby.
"I don't want my child's future to be at risk from the first steps of life". "I am confident that Ukraine will win, we will live in Ukraine and our child will be Ukrainian. We will never leave our land."
According to forecasts by the relevant authorities in Kiev, the average birth rate will fall below one child per woman in the coming years.
