TEL AVIV, September 12. /TASS/. The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that Ukraine will see a new surge of COVID-19 in October, the organization's Director General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said on Monday in Tel Aviv at the opening of the 72nd session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe.

He pointed out that there was a rise in the number of COVID infections in Ukraine. The peak of the spread of the disease, as the Director General said, may come in early October, and hospitals may reach their capacity limit.

According to Ghebreyesus, Ukrainian hospitals can also expect a shortage of oxygen as it is concentrated in the non-Kiev-controlled areas.

In addition, the WHO head stressed that the organization noted the risk of the spread of polio in Ukraine against the background of the ongoing hostilities in the country. An outbreak of the disease may arise there due to insufficient vaccination coverage and mass displacement of Ukrainians because of the fighting.

The WHO chief also stated that the events in Ukraine in recent months had a devastating impact on the physical and mental health of Ukrainians, and the consequences would be felt for many years to come.