Why is AMR spreading so quickly in Ukraine?
The image that always comes to mind is a kid learning to surf. Waves keep crashing down, and no matter how hard they try, they can’t get up on the board. That’s similar to what hospitals face with war-wounded casualties. The patients keep coming nonstop, and medical staff struggle to even gain a foothold. Hospitals can’t keep up with cleaning, and staff rarely get a moment to catch their breath.
Many wounded patients reach hospitals weeks after being injured and have not been properly washed because there are not enough nursing staff along the evacuation route. As dirt, bacteria, and dead tissue build up over time, the risk of serious infection increases. To address this urgent problem, structured wound cleaning is being introduced at key evacuation points so patients can be washed and wounds cleaned before they travel further, reducing the amount of infection and improving their chances of recovery.
What was your motivation to come and stay in Ukraine despite the war?
I don’t feel constant fear anymore, partly due to long-term exposure and my personality. I am motivated by innovation and problem-solving, especially in challenging environments. Ukraine offers opportunities to implement change that are not as available in Australia’s stable health system. I was ready for an international challenge, and working in Ukraine during a war, despite language and system barriers, represented the highest level of professional challenge and stimulation for me. The hardest part for me is the cold weather, not the security situation.
“Waves keep crashing down, and no matter how hard they try, they can’t get up on the board. That’s similar to what hospitals face with war-wounded casualties”
Has your motivation for going to Ukraine changed since you first arrived?
Initially, my focus was on implementing established programmes such as AMS and Infection Prevention and Control (IPC). Over time, I realised these systems were never designed to function during a full-scale war and require infrastructure that currently doesn’t exist in Ukraine.
So now I focus on two main goals. First, I design quick-acting solutions, such as structured would cleaning at key evacuation points. Second, I am leading a project to map microbiomes and resistance patterns across the military trauma evacuation pathway (move the wounded to higher levels of medical care). The aim of this is to identify where resistant infections are introduced and where interventions will be most effective.
“Ukraine offers opportunities to implement change that are not as available in Australia’s stable health system”
Which Actions would you take on AMR if leading the Ministry of Health?
I would prioritise interventions in eastern Ukraine, closer to where most injuries happen, so wounds can be treated early, and infections are less likely to spread. If infected patients are moved long distances across the country, they can carry drug-resistant bacteria into hospitals in other regions. At the same time, investing in microbiology laboratories is critical because slow or missing lab results force doctors to use last-line antibiotics without knowing exactly what bacteria they are treating. Overusing these powerful drugs speeds up antibiotic resistance, making infections harder to treat in the future.
From your point of view, what have we learned so far?
This war has changed how wars are fought and how wounded soldiers are treated. Because aircraft can no longer safely evacuate casualties, injured soldiers often wait much longer before reaching medical care. As a result, Ukraine is being forced to develop new ways to keep wounded people alive for extended periods, and these methods could become a model for future wars. Many NATO countries are not ready for this kind of conflict, so stronger cooperation and new medical innovations are urgently needed.
