The need to document lessons learnt and exemplary practices of maintaining essential health services during the COVID-19 pandemic

• Published in: BMJ global health 2024-02, Vol.8 (Suppl 6), p.e014643
• Main Authors: Mullen, Lucia, Kaushal, Natasha, Troeger, Chris, Kobokovich, Amanda, Trotochaud, Marc, Guha, Moytrayee, Bennett, Sara, Nuzzo, Jennifer B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: COVID-19; Decision Making; Disease transmission; Editorial; Emergencies; Global Health; Health services; Humans; Malaria; Pandemics; Public Health; Sexually transmitted diseases; STD; Tetanus; Trends; Vector-borne diseases; Whooping cough
• ISSN: 2059-7908; 2059-7908
• DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2023-014643

There are numerous reports of global inequities in access to critical care and medical countermeasures exacerbated by the pandemic as a consequence of chronically underfunded and weakened public health systems.1–4 Elective procedures were regularly cancelled or postponed and primary health services reported declining trends.4–8 Due to these disruptions, additional health emergencies have arisen amidst the pandemic including a global surge in measles cases, a continuing rise in tuberculosis-related cases and deaths, increased cases of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, climbing malaria deaths and more.9–13 Not only do these disruptions have the ability to exacerbate existing health inequities, but they may also undermine overall health system resilience.14 Weak and unprepared health systems have led to longer paths to recovery from current health crises and placed countries at further disadvantages to prepare for and respond to future health emergencies. [...]the selection process was complicated by the lack of agreement about which health services should be considered essential. [...]while this study sought to identify practices and policies that had evidence of being beneficial, the specific cause and effect of these practices could not be ascertained through this mixed-methods, ecological analysis. [...]due to the protracted nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and the changing policies and context in country, finding a country that performed ‘exemplary’ throughout the entirety of the pandemic in terms of both their COVID-19 response and maintenance of EHS was impossible.