Continuity of community-based healthcare provision during COVID-19: a multicountry interrupted time series analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Pandemics often precipitate declines in essential health service utilisation, which can ultimately kill more people than the disease outbreak itself. There is some evidence, however, that the presence of adequately supported community health workers (CHWs), that is, financially remunerated, trained, supplied and supervised in line with WHO guidelines, may blunt the impact of health system shocks. Yet, adequate support for CHWs is often missing or uneven across countries. This study assesses whether adequately supported CHWs can maintain the continuity of essential community-based health service provision during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Interrupted time series analysis. Monthly routine data from 27 districts across four countries in sub-Saharan Africa were ex

SUBMITTER: Ballard M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9096055 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature