Disruptions to child health services due to the Covid-19 pandemic are threatening the lives of millions of children around the world.
- The Covid-19 pandemic has caused major disruptions in pediatric health services.
- The associations call on the public authorities to mobilize on the issue.
Decline in vaccination, impossibility of access to pediatric services, fear of giving birth in hospital… Covid-19 could undo decades of progress in infant deaths. “Disruptions to child and maternal health services due to the Covid-19 pandemic are putting millions more lives at risk,” worry the associations.
Children are denied access to health services
The number of deaths of children under five worldwide hit its lowest point in 2019, falling from 12.5 million in 1990 to 5.2 million, according to new estimates. Since then, however, UNICEF and WHO surveys reveal that the Covid-19 pandemic has caused major disruptions in pediatric health services, threatening to undo decades of hard-won progress.
“The global community has come too far in reducing preventable child deaths to allow the Covid-19 pandemic to stop us in our tracks,” said Henrietta Fore, Executive Director of UNICEF. “When children are denied access to health services because the system is overwhelmed, and when women are afraid to give birth in hospital for fear of being infected, they too can fall victim to Covid- 19. Without urgent investments to revive disrupted health systems and services, millions of children under five, especially newborns, could die,” she warns.
Over the past 30 years, pediatric services have become increasingly successful in preventing or treating low birth weight, complications during childbirth, neonatal sepsis, pneumonia, diarrhea and malaria, as well as to promote childhood vaccination.
Disruption of children’s health checks
A UNICEF survey conducted during the summer of 2020 across 77 countries, however, found that almost 68% of countries reported at least some disruption to child health checkups and immunization services. In addition, 63% of countries reported disruptions in prenatal checkups and 59% in postnatal care. Separately, a recent WHO survey based on responses from 105 countries found that 52% of countries reported disruptions in health services for sick children and 51% in services for the management of malnutrition.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of WHO, concludes: “now, we must not let the Covid-19 pandemic set back the remarkable progress made for our children and future generations. Rather, it is time to use what we know works to save lives and continue to invest in stronger and more resilient health systems.”
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