WHO publishes guidelines to assist countries in maintaining basic health services during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic is plaguing health systems around the world. The rapidly increasing demand for healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals threatens that some healthcare systems will be overburdened and unable to work effectively.

Previous outbreaks have shown that over-health systems can also increase mortality from vaccine-preventable conditions and other treatable conditions. During the 2014-2015 Ebola epidemic. It caused an increased number of deaths
measles, malaria, HIV / AIDS and tuberculosis attributable to health system failure exceeds Ebola death
^[1,2].

“The best defense against any epidemic is
a strong health system, ”emphasized WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“COVID-19 reveals how fragile the world’s health systems are
services, are forcing countries to make difficult decisions about how best to meet
to the needs of their people. “

To help countries cope with these challenges, the World Health Organization (WHO) has updated its Operational Planning Guidelines to balance requirements to respond directly to COVID-19 while maintaining essential health care and mitigating
the risk of system crashes. This includes a set of targeted immediate actions that countries should consider at national, regional and local level to reorganize and maintain access to high quality basic health services for all.

Countries should identify essential services that will prioritize efforts to maintain continuity in service delivery and make strategic advances to ensure that all scarce resources are of maximum benefit to the population. They
they must also comply with the highest standard in precautionary measures, especially in hygiene practices, and in the provision of adequate supplies including personal protective equipment. This requires robust planning and coordinated action between governments.
and healthcare facilities and their executives.

Some examples of basic services include: routine vaccination; reproductive health services, including care during pregnancy and childbirth; care for young infants and older adults; managing mental health conditions as well as non-communicable diseases
and infectious diseases such as HIV, malaria and TB; critical hospital therapies; emergency medical management; ancillary services such as basic diagnostic imaging, laboratory services and blood bank services, among others.

Well-organized and prepared health systems can continue to provide equal access to basic emergency care, limiting direct mortality and avoiding increased indirect mortality.

The guidelines emphasize the importance of updating data. This requires frequent transparent communication with the public and strong community engagement so that the public can maintain confidence in the system so that it can safely meet their requirements
essential needs and to control the risk of infection in healthcare settings. This will help ensure that people continue to seek care when appropriate and adhere to public health advice.

First Elston, J. W. T., Cartwright, C., Ndumbi, P., & Wright, J. (2017). The health impact of the 2014-15 Ebola epidemic Public Health, 143, 60-70.

Second Parpia, A. S., Ndeffo-Mbah, M. L., Wenzel, N. S., & Galvani, A. P. (2016). Effects of the 2014-2015 Ebola epidemic response to death from malaria, HIV / AIDS and tuberculosis in West Africa. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 22 (3), 433.

For an interview please contact: Tarik Jasarevic

To access complete instructions, visit: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/technical-guidance/maintaining-essential-health-services-and-systems

For more information and guidance on COVID-19, visit: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019