Amidst COVID-19 pandemic… WHO issues guidelines to maintain essential healthcare

Mar 31, 2020 News

As the world continues to battle the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has published guidelines to help countries balance their response to the virus while maintaining the delivery of essential healthcare services.

WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

According to a Department of Public Information bulletin, Director-General of WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in an update yesterday noted that the virus has placed a strain on the health systems around the world with the increasing demand for health services.
“Previous outbreaks have demonstrated that when health systems are overwhelmed, deaths due to vaccine-preventable and treatable conditions increase dramatically,” he said, adding that even in the middle of a global crisis, essential health services must continue. “Babies are still being born, vaccines must still be delivered, and people still need life-saving treatment for a range of other diseases,” he said.
According to the WHO Director-General, the guidelines include, “a set of targeted, immediate actions to re-organise and maintain access to high-quality essential health services, including routine vaccination; care during pregnancy and childbirth; treatment for infectious and non-communicable diseases and mental health conditions; blood services, and more.”
This, he explained, includes ensuring an adequate health workforce to deal with the many health needs other than COVID-19. It will help countries manage the rise in COVID-19 cases while maintaining essential services.
The WHO has also published a detailed, practical manual on how to establish and manage treatment centres for COVID-19. This guide covers three major interventions: how to set up screening and triage at health facilities, using a repurposed building or a tent; how to set up community facilities to care for mild patients; how to set up a treatment centre, by repurposing hospital wards or entire hospitals, or by setting up a new hospital in a tent.
Dr. Ghebreyesus underscored that in addition to having adequate health facilities, the viability of supplies of diagnostics, protective equipment and other medical supplies in a country, is vital in the fight against this pandemic.
The Director-General called for increased production and free movement of essential health products along with equitable distribution of those products, based on need with specific attention being paid to low- and middle-income countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.