IMPACT OF THE WAR CONFLICT ON THE EVOLUTION OF THE PREVALENCE OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES AMONG CHILDREN, ADOLESCENTS, AND YOUTHS IN THE KHARKIV REGION ACCORDING TO INFORMATION ENTROPY

Abstract

Armed conflicts have a powerful impact on the healthcare system. They destroy the fragile balance that sustains societal stability. Their influence extends far beyond immediate combat operations, triggering a cascade of consequences. The study analyzing the evolution of infectious disease prevalence among the child population in the Kharkiv region during 2019–2023 under the influence of armed conflict is highly relevant.The objective was to analyze the change in the prevalence of infectious diseases among the child population of the Kharkiv region during the armed conflict, using information entropy as an indicator of uncertainty and data diversity. Materials and methods. The study utilized morbidity data from the records of the Kharkiv Regional Council’s Municipal Non-Profit Enterprise “Regional Pediatric Infectious Clinical Hospital” for the specified period. The methodology included time-series analysis of clinical and demographic indicators, application of Shannon entropy to determine the uncertainty of the initial data, and calculation of randomized entropy divergence (EnRD) to assess the loss of information upon data randomization.Results. The obtained results indicate a significant change in the epidemiological landscape under crisis conditions: a decrease in the variability of clinical indicators (with an increase in their interrelation) was observed during the COVID-19 pandemic and periods of active hostilities, leading to a convergence of disease patterns. At the same time, demographic data demonstrated a reduction in interrelation, which is attributed to the mass exodus of the population from the region.Conclusions. The armed conflict causes both a direct deterioration in access to medical services due to the destruction of infrastructure and structural changes in epidemiological indicators, which necessitates the revision and adaptation of public health measures to protect vulnerable population groups.