After three years into the Covid-19 pandemic, which has left millions dead and hundreds of millions infected, health systems in most countries have started showing the first major signs of recovery, according to a new UN report launched recently.
However, on a flip side, the report noted that despite signs of recovery, service disruptions persist across countries in all regions and income levels, and across most service delivery settings and tracer service areas. “It is welcome news that health systems in the majority of countries are starting to restore essential health services for millions of people who missed them during the pandemic,” said Dr. Rudi Eggers, director for integrated health services at the World Health Organization (WHO). “But, we need to ensure that all countries continue to close this gap to recover health services, and apply lessons learnt to build more prepared and resilient health systems for the future”.
By early 2023, countries reported experiencing reduced disruptions in the delivery of routine health services, but highlighted the need to invest in recovery and stronger resilience for the future, the UN health agency said in its newly published interim report “Fourth round of the global pulse survey on continuity of essential health services during the COVID-19 pandemic: November 2022–January 2023”. Among the 139 countries responding to the survey, WHO said continued disruptions persist in almost one quarter of services. In 84 countries where trend analysis is possible, the percentage of disrupted services declined on average from 56 per cent in July to September 2020 to 23 per cent in November 2022, to January 2023.
Respondents also expressed a need for WHO support to address remaining challenges in Covid-19 context and beyond. This pertains most frequently to strengthening health workforce, building monitoring capacities of health services, and designing primary healthcare.