In 92% of the 129 countries there were interruptions in the basic health servicessuch as vaccination programs and the treatment of diseases such as AIDS, showed on Monday a survey of the World Health Organization (who) on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The survey, conducted between November and December 2021, showed services were “severely affected” with “little or no improvement” from the previous survey from early 2021, the agency said. who it’s a statement.
“The results of this survey highlight the importance of taking urgent measures to face the main challenges of the health system, recover services and mitigate the impact of the covid-19 pandemic“said the who.
Emergency care, which includes ambulance and urgent care services, actually worsened, with 36% of countries reporting interruptions, up from 29% in early 2021 and 21% in the first 2020 survey.
Elective operations, such as hip and knee replacements, were interrupted in 59% of countries, with half of them reporting deficiencies in rehabilitative and palliative care.
The timing of the survey coincided with the increase in Covid-19 cases in many countries by the end of 2021 due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant, placing an additional burden on hospitals.
The declaration of the who it attributed the magnitude of the interruptions to “pre-existing health system problems” as well as decreased demand for care, without elaborating.
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