Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and Malaria Health Services in sub-Saharan Africa – A Situation Analysis of the Disruptions and Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic
•The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted negatively on Africa's health systems•COVID-19 disruptions on TB and other health services need to be urgently addressed•Strengthening health systems will require visionary political leadership•Innovations in service delivery and technological adaptations rem...
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Veröffentlicht in: | International journal of infectious diseases 2022-11, Vol.124, p.S41-S46 |
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Sprache: | eng |
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Zusammenfassung: | •The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted negatively on Africa's health systems•COVID-19 disruptions on TB and other health services need to be urgently addressed•Strengthening health systems will require visionary political leadership•Innovations in service delivery and technological adaptations remain critical•Beyond modeling, actual country-level data is required to guide decision making
The unprecedented and ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has exposed weaknesses in African countries’ health systems. The impact of shifted focus on COVID-19 for the past 2 years on routine health services, especially those for the epidemics of Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and Malaria, have been dramatic in both quantity and quality.
In this article, we reflect on the COVID-19 related disruptions on the Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and Malaria routine health services across Africa.
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in disruptions of routine health services and diversion of already limited available resources in sub-Saharan Africa. As a result, disease programs like TB, malaria and HIV have recorded gaps in prevention and treatment with the prospects of reversing gains made towards meeting global targets. The extent of the disruption is yet to be fully quantified at country level as most data available is from modelling estimates before and during the pandemic.
Accurate country-level data is required to convince donors and governments to invest more into revamping these health services and help prepare for managing future pandemics without disruption of routine services. Increasing government expenditure on health is a critical part of Africa's economic policy. Strengthening health systems at various levels to overcome the negative impacts of COVID-19, and preparing for future epidemics will require strong visionary political leadership. Innovations in service delivery and technological adaptations are required as countries aim to limit disruptions to routine services. |
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ISSN: | 1201-9712 1878-3511 |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.ijid.2022.03.033 |