TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic preparation and response on essential health services in primary and tertiary healthcare settings of Amhara Region, Ethiopia
AU - Enbiale, Wendemagegn
AU - Abdela, Seid Getahun
AU - Seyum, Meaza
AU - Hundie, Dereje Bedanie
AU - Bogale, Kassawmar Angaw
AU - Tamirat, Koku Sisay
AU - Feleke, Mulat Birhanu
AU - Azage, Muluken
AU - Nigatu, Dabere
AU - de Vries, Henry J. C.
N1 - Funding Information: We thank all health facility administrations and staffs of the archive/card room for providing us the access and their role in data extraction. The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene has waived the Open Access fee for this article due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and has assisted with publication expenses. Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2021 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
PY - 2021/11/1
Y1 - 2021/11/1
N2 - Countries like Ethiopia have had to make difficult decisions to balance between the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic and maintaining the essential health service delivery. We assessed the effect of preventive COVID-19 measures on essential healthcare services in selected health facilities of Ethiopia. In a comparative cross-sectional study, we analyzed and compared data from seven health facilities over two periods: the pre-COVID-19 period before the first reported COVID-19 case in the country and during the COVID-19 period. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics and the independent t test. During the COVID-19 period the average number of monthly patient visits in the emergency department, pediatrics outpatient, and adult outpatient dropped by 27%, 30%, and 27%, respectively compared with the pre-COVID-19 period. Family planning; institutional delivery; childhood immunization; antenatal care-, hypertension- and diabetic patient follow-up, did not vary significantly between pre-COVID-19 and during COVID-19. Moreover, the monthly average number of tuberculosis (TB) and HIV patients who visited health facilities for drug refill and clinical evaluation did not vary significantly during the two periods. In conclusion, the study highlights that the effect of public restrictions to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic on essential care systems should be considered.
AB - Countries like Ethiopia have had to make difficult decisions to balance between the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic and maintaining the essential health service delivery. We assessed the effect of preventive COVID-19 measures on essential healthcare services in selected health facilities of Ethiopia. In a comparative cross-sectional study, we analyzed and compared data from seven health facilities over two periods: the pre-COVID-19 period before the first reported COVID-19 case in the country and during the COVID-19 period. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics and the independent t test. During the COVID-19 period the average number of monthly patient visits in the emergency department, pediatrics outpatient, and adult outpatient dropped by 27%, 30%, and 27%, respectively compared with the pre-COVID-19 period. Family planning; institutional delivery; childhood immunization; antenatal care-, hypertension- and diabetic patient follow-up, did not vary significantly between pre-COVID-19 and during COVID-19. Moreover, the monthly average number of tuberculosis (TB) and HIV patients who visited health facilities for drug refill and clinical evaluation did not vary significantly during the two periods. In conclusion, the study highlights that the effect of public restrictions to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic on essential care systems should be considered.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85120003556&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.21-0354
DO - https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.21-0354
M3 - Article
C2 - 34544048
SN - 0002-9637
VL - 105
SP - 1240
EP - 1246
JO - American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene
JF - American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene
IS - 5
ER -