[Underlying conditions on the southern border between Colombia and Venezuela to face the COVID-19 pandemic]. / Condiciones en la frontera sur entre Colombia y Venezuela ante la pandemia de COVID-19.
Rev Salud Publica (Bogota)
; 22(2): 185-193, 2020 03 01.
Article
in Spanish
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2291465
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES:
To size human migration on the southern border between Colombia and Venezuela (Guainía department), and characterize the social, access and health care conditions relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic.METHODS:
Mixed epidemiological and ethnographic study. Rate of Venezuelan migrants was calculated according to Migration Colombia data until December 31st, 2019, also effective access to medical care, and provision of health posts were calculated, with information from each Guainía health post collected from June 2017 to June 2019, through semi-structured interviews, participant observations, Google Earth™ and Wikiloc™. Stata™ was used to calculate and graph median times of effective access. Cultural dynamics and health care conditions were described by the field work information and a permanent documentary review.RESULTS:
Guainía is the 23rd department, according to the total number of Venezuelans, but the fourth in Venezuelans density (14,4%). In the Guainía river, the median times to the real reference health institution were 8,7 hours in winter and 12,3 in summer, and complex cases require air referrals. In the Inírida river, the median times to the real reference health institution were 11,9 hours in winter and 16,1 in summer. Only 57% of the health posts had supplies for acute respiratory infections.CONCLUSIONS:
Facing COVID-19 in south border territories, it is necessary to immediately strengthen medical and public health services to avoid high fatality rates.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Transients and Migrants
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Qualitative research
Limits:
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
South America
/
Colombia
/
Venezuela
Language:
Spanish
Journal:
Rev Salud Publica (Bogota)
Journal subject:
Public Health
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Rsap.V22n2.86366
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