Adopting population-based interventions towards sustaining child health services in the midst of COVID-19 in sub-Saharan Africa: application of the socio-ecological model.
Pan Afr Med J
; 41: 70, 2022.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1776673
ABSTRACT
Child health services remain one of the most cost-effective strategies in reducing child mortality which is still disturbingly high in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Efforts by governments and other stakeholders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have inadvertently disrupted the provision of other essential health services including those focusing on children. This comes at the backdrop of the World Health Organization´s guidelines for countries to sustain priority services while fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Underpinned by the Socio-Ecological Model (SEM), we propose population-based interventions which could help in sustaining child health services in the midst of COVID-19 in SSA. At the intrapersonal and interpersonal levels, educating mothers during routine community outreach services, during child welfare clinics, and in church/mosques could be useful. Education and sensitization of male partners could also be an important intervention. At the institutional and community levels, we recommend the allocation of more funds to other essential health services including child health services. The training and deployment of more general nurses, community health nurses/officers, and public health officers is imperative. The provision and adherence to COVID-19 preventive protocols at health facilities are also recommended at these levels. At the public policy level, insurance and tax relief packages for frontline professionals providing child health services and micro-credit facilities at reduced interest rates for women could be implemented towards sustaining the utilisation of child health services.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Child Health Services
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
Limits:
Child
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
Africa
Language:
English
Journal:
Pan Afr Med J
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Pamj.2022.41.70.31396
Similar
MEDLINE
...
LILACS
LIS