With Ukraine certainties are few.

We cannot predict how far the mass destruction will spread, nor for how long. We cannot confidently assess the chances of a diplomatic fix or even a nuclear escalation. 

Beyond the catastrophic effects of bombs and artillery on human life, this war will have an insidious impact on millions far from the battlefields. 

The shaky public health and clinical care systems in Ukraine, a country that struggled to prosper after the collapse of the Soviet Union, are now being crippled.