ABSTRACT
Introduction: without timely action, the global prevalence of child wasting could rise by a shocking 14.3% as a result of disruption of nutrition services by fear, stigma, and various government restrictions to curb COVID-19. Therefore, timely action should be emphasized to ensure continued provision of essential health and nutrition services such as vitamin A supplementation, timely identification and treatment of wasting, provision of micronutrients, and promotion of improved infant and young child feeding (IYCF) in the region. Methods: this study analyzed the routine nutrition data from HMIS, comparing continuity of essential nutrition services in the region before and during COVID-19. Two online questionnaires were also administered to UNICEF staff in all the 21 ESA countries in May and June 2020. Results: the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) region experienced reduced coverage of vitamin A supplementation among children 6-59 months, while wasting treatment recorded a mixed picture with a 14% overall decline in new admissions, but some countries also reflecting increases. Compared to 2019 there was an increase in the number of mothers and caregivers reached with counselling for improved IYCF. All the countries adopted the revised nutrition programming guidelines in the context of COVID-19. Conclusion: the impact of COVID-19 to the health and nutrition wellbeing of children and women can't be underestimated. Countries in the region should strive to continue providing essential nutrition services while protecting children and women against the spread of COVID-19. Necessary response measures should be established to build resilience in the health and nutrition sectors to cope with the impact of COVID-19.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena , Breast Feeding , Child , Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena/physiology , Female , Humans , Infant , Micronutrients , Pandemics , Vitamin AABSTRACT
COVID-19 cases have continued to increase globally putting intense pressure on health systems, including in the East and Southern African (ESA) region, which bears the brunt of the continent´s cases, and where many health systems are already weak or overstretched. Evidence from the West Africa Ebola disease outbreak and early estimates for COVID-19 show that indirect impacts due to disruptions in access to essential health services can result in even higher mortality than that directly related to the outbreak. In March 2020, World Health Organisation (WHO) established a coordination mechanism to support ESA countries to enhance their response to COVID-19. Technical working groups were established, including a subgroup addressing continuity of essential health services. In this article, the development, activities and achievements of the subgroup over the past six months are reviewed and presented as a model for collaborative action for optimal service delivery in the context of COVID-19 and potentially, during other infectious disease outbreak responses.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola , Africa, Southern/epidemiology , COVID-19/epidemiology , Health Services , Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola/epidemiology , Humans , World Health OrganizationABSTRACT
Introduction without timely action, the global prevalence of child wasting could rise by a shocking 14.3% as a result of disruption of nutrition services by fear, stigma, and various government restrictions to curb COVID-19. Therefore, timely action should be emphasized to ensure continued provision of essential health and nutrition services such as vitamin A supplementation, timely identification and treatment of wasting, provision of micronutrients, and promotion of improved infant and young child feeding (IYCF) in the region. Methods this study analyzed the routine nutrition data from HMIS, comparing continuity of essential nutrition services in the region before and during COVID-19. Two online questionnaires were also administered to UNICEF staff in all the 21 ESA countries in May and June 2020. Results the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) region experienced reduced coverage of vitamin A supplementation among children 6-59 months, while wasting treatment recorded a mixed picture with a 14% overall decline in new admissions, but some countries also reflecting increases. Compared to 2019 there was an increase in the number of mothers and caregivers reached with counselling for improved IYCF. All the countries adopted the revised nutrition programming guidelines in the context of COVID-19. Conclusion the impact of COVID-19 to the health and nutrition wellbeing of children and women can't be underestimated. Countries in the region should strive to continue providing essential nutrition services while protecting children and women against the spread of COVID-19. Necessary response measures should be established to build resilience in the health and nutrition sectors to cope with the impact of COVID-19.
ABSTRACT
COVID-19 cases have continued to increase globally putting intense pressure on health systems, including in the East and Southern African (ESA) region, which bears the brunt of the continent´s cases, and where many health systems are already weak or overstretched. Evidence from the West Africa Ebola disease outbreak and early estimates for COVID-19 show that indirect impacts due to disruptions in access to essential health services can result in even higher mortality than that directly related to the outbreak. In March 2020, World Health Organisation (WHO) established a coordination mechanism to support ESA countries to enhance their response to COVID-19. Technical working groups were established, including a subgroup addressing continuity of essential health services. In this article, the development, activities and achievements of the subgroup over the past six months are reviewed and presented as a model for collaborative action for optimal service delivery in the context of COVID-19 and potentially, during other infectious disease outbreak responses.