Up to 90 countries have reported disruption to essential health services since the pandemic: WHO

Data collected from five regions during the period March-June 2020 show that almost all countries (90%) experienced disruptions in healthcare services, with low- and middle-income countries reporting the greatest difficulty. I am.

Most countries reported that many daily and selective services were suspended, but emergency care such as cancer screening and treatment and HIV treatment experienced high-risk interruptions in low-income countries. ..

On Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) released its first indicator study on the impact of COVID-19 on the health system, based on reports from 105 countries.

“While the research sheds light on the cracks in our health system, it also helps inform new strategies to improve health care delivery during and after the pandemic,” said WHO Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Said the doctor.

“COVID-19 should be a lesson for all countries that health is not a “neither” equation. We need to continue to invest in healthcare systems that not only cater for emergencies, but also fully meet people’s needs throughout their life courses. “

According to the WHO, the service was an overall hit: based on reports from key informants, 50% of the set of 25 tracer services experienced an average turmoil in the country.

Routine immunization – outreach services (70%) and facility-based services (61%), non-communicable disease diagnosis and treatment (69%), family planning and contraception in the most frequently disrupted areas reported. (68%), health disorders including psychological treatment (61%), diagnosis and treatment of cancer (55%).

The country also reported the confusion of malaria diagnosis and treatment (46%), detection and treatment of cases of tuberculosis (42%), and antiretroviral treatment (32%).

Some health care areas, such as dentistry and rehabilitation, may be intentionally stopped according to government protocols, but many interruptions to other services negatively impact the health of the population in the short-to-mid and long term. Expected-period.

In nearly a quarter of responding countries, potentially life-saving emergency services have been interrupted.

For example, 24-hour emergency room service interruptions were impacted in 22% of countries, emergency transfusions were disrupted in 23%, and emergency surgery was impacted in 19%.

Confusion due to a mix of supply-side and demand-side factors.

Approximately 76% of countries report reduced demand and outpatient attendance due to other factors (such as lockdowns and financial difficulties).

The most commonly reported factor on the supply side was the cancellation of selective services (66%).

Other factors reported by the state included relocation of staff to provide COVID-19 remedies, unavailable service due to closures, and interruption of supply of medical devices and health products.

Adapting service provision strategy. How many countries recommend some of WHO’s recommended strategies for mitigating service interruptions, including triage to identify priorities, move to online patient consultation, change prescribing practices, supply chain and public health information strategies. Or is starting to implement.

However, only 14% of the countries reported eliminating user fees, and WHO recommends offsetting potential financial difficulties for patients.

The pulse survey also provides an indication of national experience in adapting strategies to mitigate the impact on service delivery.

Despite the limitations of these studies, the outbreak slowed in the next few months, emphasizing the need to improve real-time monitoring of changes in service delivery and usage to adapt the solution accordingly. I am.

As such, WHO will continue to work with the State to provide support tools to address the impact of COVID-19.

WHO is developing COVID19: Health Services Learning Hub in light of the urgent need to support countries in pandemic response. It is a web-based platform that enables sharing experience and learning from innovative national practices that bring together global responses.

WHO will also devise additional studies at the local level and at healthcare facilities to measure the long-term effects of disruption and allow countries to weigh the benefits and risks of pursuing different mitigation strategies.

The study “A rapid assessment of the continuity of critical health services during a COVID-19 pandemic” (HYPERLINK) was conducted in 159 countries (all WHO regions except the United States).

We received a total of 105 responses (66% response rate) from senior officials of the Ministry of Health covering the period from March to June 2020.

The purpose of the study was to provide insights and perspectives on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on up to 25 basic health services in the country and how countries are adapting their strategies to maintain basic services. Was to get

The pulse survey has some limitations, but the strengths of this effort are comprehensive, focusing on 25 core health services (as opposed to single topic surveys) and in comparable ways in over 100 countries. It represents a mess of these services.

It reveals that even robust healthcare systems can be rapidly overwhelmed and compromised by the outbreak of COVID-19, strengthening the need for continuous data collection and strategic adaptation, and essential care. Make sure the offer is maintained.

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