Good day everyone.
The last few months have been quite challenging for us all globally and we have all been affected in one way or another. We have also seen health care services laid bare in so many circumstances and so many ways.
With particular reference to Child health, the pandemic has had far reaching effects on child health in a multiplicity of ways. And there is quite a bank of information, published and unpublished. Some of the information available on the status of essential services for children (including pregnant mothers) in some parts of the world shows that the impact is variable and far reaching. Even within Nigeria, my home country, the impact of the Covid-19 is variable and the effects are direct and indirect on the health care services for children.
There are many issues to consider in this environment (Nigeria).
There is the weak state of the health care structure especially at the primary level of care, the total dependence on political will, the never ending violent conflicts, security challenges and poor local infrastructure that bedevil the available health care services.
The essential health services like immunisation services, availability of general health clinics, disease eradication programmes like the malaria eradication programme that ensure the availability of insecticide treated nets and appropriate diagnosis and drugs for women and children, nutritional services, HIV support clinics (for parents and children) and community engagement have not been entirely disrupted but have been reduced in areas that are affected by the restriction of movements and diversion of funds from donors and governments. The latter are also factors that have affected the overall health care system and the outcomes for child health at different levels of care.
It would be interesting to hear about what is happening in your country.
Regards,Dr Ranti Ekpo
CHIFA Profile: Ranti Ekpo is Program Manager/Researcher at the
development Research and Projects Center
in Nigeria. Professional interests: Health Advocacy, Child Health, Child diarrhoea, Childhood Pneumonia, Child Nutrition, Routine Immunisation, Family Planning.
email: ekpooy AT yahoo.co.uk
