In the WHO Global Pulse Survey, 90% of countries report disruptions in basic health services since the COVID-19 pandemic

TKO will implement learning and monitoring tools to improve service delivery during a pandemic

The World Health Organization (WHO) released the first indicator today research on the impact of COVID-19 on health systems based on reports from 105 countries. Data collected from five regions in the period from March to June 2020 show that almost every country (90%) had disruptions in health services, and low- and middle-income countries reported the greatest difficulties. Most countries reported that many routine and elective services were discontinued, while critical care – such as cancer screening and treatment and HIV therapy – had high-risk interruptions in low-income countries.

“The research illuminates cracks in our health systems, but also serves to inform new strategies to improve health care delivery during a pandemic and beyond,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “COVID-19 should be a lesson to all countries that health is not an equation of either. We need to better prepare for emergencies, but also continue to invest in health systems that fully meet people’s needs throughout life.”

Full plan services: Based on reports from key informants, countries experienced interruptions on average in 50% of the group of 25 seekers. The most commonly disturbed areas taken include routine immunization – information services (70%) and institution-based services (61%), diagnosis and treatment of non-communicable diseases (69%), family planning and contraception (68%), treatment of mental health disorders (61%). ), cancer diagnosis and treatment (55%).

Countries also reported disorders in the diagnosis and treatment of malaria (46%), detection and treatment of tuberculosis cases (42%), and antiretroviral treatment (32%). Although some areas of health care, such as dental care and rehabilitation, could have been intentionally discontinued under government protocols, disruptions to many other services are expected to have detrimental effects on public health in the short, medium, and long term. -appointment.

Potentially life-saving emergency services have been disrupted in nearly a quarter of responding countries. For example, disruptions in 24-hour emergency services were affected in 22% of countries, emergency blood transfusions were disrupted in 23% of countries, emergency surgeries were affected in 19% of countries.

Disorders due to a combination of supply and demand factors. 76% of countries reported a decrease in outpatient attendance due to lower demand and other factors, such as downtime and financial difficulties. The most common factor on the supply side was the cancellation of election services (66%). Other factors reported by states include redeployment of staff to provide COVID-19 assistance, unavailability of services due to closures, and disruptions in the supply of medical equipment and health products.

Adapting service delivery strategies Many countries have begun to implement some of the WHO’s recommended strategies for mitigating disruptions in services, such as initiating prioritization, moving to online patient counseling, changes in prescribing procedures and supply chain, and public health information strategies. However, only 14% of countries reported the abolition of user fees, which the WHO recommends to compensate for potential financial difficulties for patients.

Pulse research also provides an overview of countries’ experiences in adapting strategies to mitigate the impact on service delivery. Despite the limitations of such research, it emphasizes the need to improve the monitoring of changes in the provision and use of services in real time, as outbreaks are likely to increase and disappear over the coming months, and adjust solutions accordingly.

To this end, the WHO will continue to work with countries and provide support tools to address the issue of dropping out of COVID-19. Given the urgent request of countries for assistance during the response to the pandemic, the WHO is developing COVID19: Center for Learning Health Services, a web-based platform that will enable the exchange of experiences and learning from the innovative practices of countries that can provide information on the collective global response. The WHO is also planning additional research at the subnational level and in health facilities to determine the long-term impact of the disorder and to help countries weigh the benefits and risks in implementing different mitigation strategies.

Note to editors

The “Rapid Assessment of the Continuity of Basic Health Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic” (HYPERLINK) survey was conducted in 159 countries (all WHO regions except America). 105 responses (66% response rate) were received from senior officials of the Ministries of Health for the period from March to June 2020. The purpose of this study was to gain insight and perspectives on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on as many as 25 basic health services in countries strategies for maintaining basic services.

Although pulse surveys have certain limitations, the strength of this effort is that it is comprehensive, looking at 25 basic health services (as opposed to single-topic research) and presenting interruptions in those services in a comparable way in over 100 countries. It reveals that even strong health systems can be quickly overcome and compromised by the COVID-19 epidemic, reinforcing the need for continuous data collection and strategic adjustments to ensure the maintenance of necessary care.

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Operational guidelines for the maintenance of essential services during an epidemic