The impact of COVID-19 on essential health service provision for noncommunicable diseases in the South-East Asia region: A systematic review

Gadsden, Thomas; Downey, Laura; Vilas, Victor Del Rio; Peiris, David; Jan, Stephen

doi:10.1016/j.lansea.2022.04.006

Cited by 35 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…The results suggest that the continuity of EHNS could not be ensured in Bangladesh during the pandemic, especially in the initial months. This correlates with findings from administrative data [ 7 ] and longitudinal surveys [ 25 ], as well as findings reported in other countries [ 26 , 27 ]. Demand and supply limitations for service delivery during lockdown, difficulties in communication, and limitations in the local monitoring of the disease and service delivery were some of the primary causes of service disruptions.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

A Qualitative Assessment of the Essential Health and Nutrition Service Delivery in the Context of COVID-19 in Bangladesh: The Perspective of Divisional Directors

et al. 2022

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Bangladesh suffered disruptions in the utilization of essential health and nutrition services (EHNS) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The magnitude of the pandemic has been documented, but little is known from the perspectives of health administrators. A rapid qualitative assessment of division-level capacity identified successes and bottlenecks in providing EHNS- and COVID-19-related services during the first months of the pandemic in Bangladesh. Semi-structured interviews were held with the Health and Family Planning Divisional Directors of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The Primary Health Care System Framework guided the content analysis, focusing on (i) service delivery, (ii) communication and community outreach, and (iii) surveillance and service monitoring. Our findings identified low care seeking due to fears of getting infected and unawareness that EHNS were still available. Adaptations to telemedicine were highly heterogeneous between divisions, but collaboration with NGOs were fruitful in reinstating outreach activities. Guidelines were centered on COVID-19 information and less so on EHNS. The inflexibility of spending capacities at divisional and clinic levels hindered service provision. Misinformation and information voids were difficult to handle all around the country. Community health workers were useful for outreach communication. EHNS must be guaranteed during sanitary emergencies, and Bangladesh presented with both significant efforts and areas of opportunity for improvement.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

A Qualitative Assessment of the Essential Health and Nutrition Service Delivery in the Context of COVID-19 in Bangladesh: The Perspective of Divisional Directors

et al. 2022

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“…As of November 2022, more than 632 million infections and 6.6 million deaths have been reported globally (2), an underestimate of the true burden of disease due to limited access to testing and surveillance in many countries. The pandemic has challenged public health systems worldwide, revealing that even seemingly robust health systems can be rapidly overwhelmed and compromised (3)(4)(5)(6). Health seeking behavior for routine care also declined during the COVID-19 pandemic (7-10).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The provision and utilization of essential health services in Afghanistan during COVID-19 pandemic

Neyazi

Lindan

Perdes³

et al. 2023

Front. Public Health

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IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted provision of essential health services and overwhelmed even robust health systems worldwide. The Afghanistan health system has suffered both from the pandemic, as well as from political upheaval and regime change.MethodsWe evaluated essential service delivery using data collected from a cross-sectional survey of health care facilities in Afghanistan based on administration of a World Health Organization standardized assessment of frontline service readiness. A multi-stage sampling scheme was used to identify a representative sample of 92 health facilities (68 clinics and 24 hospitals) providing essential health services in five provinces. Facility managers were asked to report on changes in health service delivery in late 2021 and early 2022 (corresponding to the end of a significant national COVID-19 surge in infections) compared to the same period one year earlier.ResultsAmong health facilities evaluated; 29 were in urban and 63 were in rural settings. Most facilities reported an increase in the provision of outpatient care particularly in maternal and child health services as well as for tuberculosis, chronic respiratory diseases, mental health, and substance abuse; the number of in-patients also increased. In contrast, provision of services for malaria, neglected tropical diseases, and community outreach programs decreased. Nearly all facilities used strategies to maintain services, including targeting high-risk patients, promoting self-care, and redirecting patients to alternative health care sites. Nearly three fourth (70.6%) of facilities provided no training about COVID-19 to staff; only 65.2% referred COVID-19 patients to designated hospitals and 44.6% had safe transportation for these patients.DiscussionIncreased demand for services during this period was likely due to a backlog in need generated during the preceding COVID-19 surge and the political changes happened a few months earlier to this survey. Facilities used various methods to maintain services, although the decrease in provision of community outreach was concerning. Facilities appeared to be able to maintain essential health services, despite an increase in demand. However, awareness and training of COVID-19 protocols and appropriate and safe referrals need to be improved. In general, these series of surveys are informative and helpful to identify any changes in provision of essential health services and can facilitate recovery of health systems during and after pandemics.

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“…COVID-19 has not only negatively impacted health behaviors, 116 but has also stretched an already fragile health system and needs an integrated approach to combat the ever-increasing onslaught of the CVD epidemic in Asia. 117 COVID-19 has helped policymakers and health professionals prioritize a healthy lifestyle and has encouraged people to reconnect with traditional practices such as mindfulness, meditation and yoga. 118 Despite a fragile, inequitable health system Asia is home to rich cultural practices and heritage which in response to the increasing burden of CVD and other chronic diseases, has been a concerted effort to promote health and well-being using culturally sensitive means and practices.…”

Section: Asiamentioning

confidence: 99%

Cardiovascular disease prevention and management in the COVID-19 era and beyond: An international perspective

Faghy

Yates

Hills

et al. 2023

Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases

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The impact of COVID-19 on essential health service provision for noncommunicable diseases in the South-East Asia region: A systematic review

Cited by 35 publications

References 36 publications

A Qualitative Assessment of the Essential Health and Nutrition Service Delivery in the Context of COVID-19 in Bangladesh: The Perspective of Divisional Directors

A Qualitative Assessment of the Essential Health and Nutrition Service Delivery in the Context of COVID-19 in Bangladesh: The Perspective of Divisional Directors

The provision and utilization of essential health services in Afghanistan during COVID-19 pandemic

Cardiovascular disease prevention and management in the COVID-19 era and beyond: An international perspective

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