ABSTRACT
Zimbabwe reported its first case of COVID-19 on 20 March 2020, and since then the number has increased to over 4000. To contain the spread of the causative SARS-CoV-2 and prepare the healthcare system, public health interventions, including lockdowns, were imposed on 30 March 2020. These resulted in disruptions in healthcare provision, and movement of people and supply chains. There have been resultant delays in seeking and accessing healthcare by the patients. Additionally, disruption of essential health services in the areas of maternal and child health, sexual and reproductive health services, care for chronic conditions and access to oncological and other specialist services has occurred. Thus, there may be avoidable excess morbidity and mortality from non-COVID-19 causes that is not justifiable by the current local COVID-19 burden. Measures to restore normalcy to essential health services provision as guided by the World Health Organisation and other bodies needs to be considered and implemented urgently, to avoid preventable loss of life and excess morbidity. Adequate infection prevention and control measures must be put in place to ensure continuity of essential services whilst protecting healthcare workers and patients from contracting COVID-19.
Subject(s)
Betacoronavirus , Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology , Delivery of Health Care , Pandemics , Pneumonia, Viral/epidemiology , COVID-19 , Chronic Disease/epidemiology , Communicable Disease Control/organization & administration , Continuity of Patient Care , Coronavirus Infections/prevention & control , Guidelines as Topic , Health Resources/supply & distribution , Health Services Accessibility , Humans , Medically Uninsured , Medicine , Models, Theoretical , Mortality , Neoplasms/therapy , Pandemics/prevention & control , Patient Acceptance of Health Care , Personal Protective Equipment/supply & distribution , Pneumonia, Viral/prevention & control , Reproductive Health Services/supply & distribution , SARS-CoV-2 , World Health Organization , Zimbabwe/epidemiologyABSTRACT
The national lockdown imposed in Nepal as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic is having indirect consequences on sexual and reproductive (SRH) in Nepal. Although the Government of Nepal and partners have committed to ensuring the continuity of SRH services during the pandemic, this comment aims to illustrate the potential impacts to SRH if these commitments are not met. Keywords: COVID-19; Nepal; reproductive health; sexual health.
Subject(s)
Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology , Health Services Accessibility , Pneumonia, Viral/epidemiology , Reproductive Health Services/supply & distribution , Women's Health , Adolescent , Adult , Betacoronavirus , COVID-19 , Female , Humans , Male , Nepal/epidemiology , Pandemics , SARS-CoV-2ABSTRACT
As the COVID-19 pandemic causes upheaval in New York City (NYC), 1 consequence is the accessibility of sexual health services. The NYC STD Prevention Training Center at Columbia University administered an online provider survey to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the availability of sexual health care services regionally.
Subject(s)
Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology , Health Services Accessibility/organization & administration , Pneumonia, Viral/epidemiology , Reproductive Health Services/supply & distribution , Sexual Health , Betacoronavirus , COVID-19 , Coronavirus Infections/virology , Humans , New York City/epidemiology , Pandemics , Pneumonia, Viral/virology , SARS-CoV-2ABSTRACT
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is responsible for a global pandemic. It is important to balance the need for access to healthcare services, including testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections. Sexually transmitted infection programs must consider how to use limited resources and implement novel approaches to provide continued access to care.