ABSTRACT
Healthcare workers (HCWs) have faced an increased amount of mental health struggles amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. However, those in conflict-based settings with fragile healthcare systems meet additional challenges. This study reviews violence, conflict and mental health among HCWs in five countries: Syria, Palestine, Yemen, Afghanistan and Lebanon. Our study reports that HCWs are targeted by violence, bombings, mistreatment and different forms of abuse, including verbal and physical. With the additional burdens of the pandemic including prolonged working hours, limited resources and insufficient humanitarian aid, the healthcare workers fall victim to increased levels of burnout and mental illnesses. The situation leads to dire consequences on their personal lives and professional development, compelling them to quit their job or country all together. Although healthcare workers remain resilient in these conflict-based settings, immediate interventions are required to prevent violence against them and cater to their rapidly declining mental health.
ABSTRACT
Meningitis is a severe infection and a major public health challenge. The meningitis outbreak which had resurfaced amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been further stressing the health care systems that are already overburdened with detecting, preventing, and treating the current coronavirus disease. The recent meningitis outbreak in the DRC has resulted in a high case fatality ratio of 50% - an extremely worrying concern. Robust strategies are hence needed to curb the spread of the disease amid the COVID-19 pandemic, to prevent further adverse health outcomes and to mitigate the compounding burden on the country's healthcare systems. Several measures such as vaccination campaigns, adherence to sanitation and hygiene, improved surveillance and diagnostic capabilities could help prevent future epidemics in the country.