EHS-COVID (10) Summary of CHIFA discussion on Maintaining essential child health services during COVID

18 December, 2020

Dear CHIFA and HIFA members,

Thank you to all who contributed to the recent discussion in collaboration with WHO: Maintaining essential child health services during COVID (and beyond), together with our sister forums (HIFA).

Our aim with this 1-year project is to promote cross-county experience to better understand the impact of COVID on child health services, and how this can be addressed. Inputs will help inform future guidance.

https://www.hifa.org/news/hifa-and-who-collaborate-promote-sharing-exper...

Below is an article just published in the ICHG Newsletter (International Child Health Group).

During November and December there were 26 messages from 12 CHIFA members in Brazil, Cameroon, Hungary, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, UK, USA. You can read an edited version of the discussion here: https://www.hifa.org/sites/default/files/publications_pdf/CHIFA-EHS-COVI...

Highlights

- Important surgery, including cardiothoracic, was cancelled and children sent back to lower levels of system

- Problems with supply chain, including antimalarials

- A positive impact: "The pandemic enhanced the spirit of working together in the hospital. "

- CHIFA members in Kenya, South Africa and Malawi all reported an increase in teenage pregnancies

- Increased use of online consultations

- Increased use of informal healthcare providers in rural areas

Please continue to share your experience and expertise on both CHIFA and HIFA.

Join HIFA: www.hifa.org/joinhifa

Best wishes, Neil

Let's build a future where people are no longer dying for lack of healthcare information - Join HIFA: www.hifa.org

HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of the HIFA global health campaign (Healthcare Information For All - www.hifa.org ), a global community with more than 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting on six global forums in four languages in collaboration with WHO. Twitter: @hifa_org FB: facebook.com/HIFAdotORG neil@hifa.org