Child health service disruption due to COVID19 in Bangladesh: Lessons showing ways to improve

29 January, 2021

Below are extracts from a poster at this week's CORE Group conference.

--

Since January 2020, Save the Children International Bangladesh (SCiBD) has been implementing 'Tackling Pneumonia in Bangladesh' project in six sub-districts (Agailjhara, Bakerganj, Banaripara, Hijla, Mehendiganj and Muladi) of Barishal district, jointly in collaboration with Ministry of Health (MOH), Bangladesh.

The project aims to improve access to quality services for diagnosis and treatment of pneumonia, and ensures that children have equitable access to vaccines...

Since the first COVID-19 case was diagnosed in March in Bangladesh, there has been a marked decrease child health services, especially in care-seeking and consultations for sick children and outreach immunization services...

Project implementation reports and data revealed halt of further disruption and improved coverage of both immunization and pneumonia consultation services during August-October. The observed improvement is potentially attributable to adoption of alternate strategies (e.g. mobile immunization outreach services targeting hard-to-reach population, targeted home visits by community health workers) for implementing community based activities.

SCiBD provides technical assistance and management support to MOH, the key service provider at community level. SCiBD has been working through a coalition of partners, playing a catalytic role for continuing and improving community based interventions, especially child immunization services, promoting exclusive breastfeeding and case management of child pneumonia at community level. Preventing service disruption and improving program performance through strengthening supportive and facilitative activities to MOH could be considered in other similar settings.

--

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