Assessment of the Perinatal Care Effectiveness During the COVID-19 Pandemic at the Regional Level

Abstract

Considering the importance of perinatal health care, it is necessary to carry out constant monitoring and analysis of the effectiveness of this direction both at the state level and in the section of individual regions. The objective: to assess the effectiveness of perinatal care during the COVID-19 pandemic at the regional level (Ivano-Frankivsk region). Materials and methods. A comparative analysis of the indicators of the effectiveness of perinatal care at the state and regional level (Ivano-Frankivsk region) for 2017–2021 was carried out, which in particular includes 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic and previous years for the analysis of dynamic trends using statistical data of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. Results. Despite the fact that perinatal care in Ivano-Frankivsk region for 2017–2021 is at a fairly high level compared to the average indicators in Ukraine, there are certain shortcomings and corresponding reserves for improving its effectiveness. The deterioration of some indicators during the years of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2021) in comparison with the last years before the pandemic (2017-2019) was noted: a sharp decrease in the birth rate in 2021 (by 9.76%); in 2020 – an increase in the proportional indicator (per 1,000 births) of early neonatal mortality (from 2.85 to 3.62 of the actual indicator and from 6.47 to 7.82 in real terms), in 2021 – an increase in the proportional indicator of perinatal mortality at weighing less than 1500 g (3 2.27 to 3.44 per 1000 live births), in 2021 a sharp increase in maternal mortality (from 23.98 to 37.4 per 100,000 live births). Conclusions. The obtained indicators reflect both the direct impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health of the woman, the fetus and the newborn, as well as the increased load on the perinatal care system and the lack of readiness for crisis challenges. It is necessary to develop a complex of improving the efficiency of perinatal care at all stages (antenatal, intranatal and neonatal) and strengthening the stability of the system in possible crisis situations.