Disruptions in basic health services such as vaccination programmes and treatment of diseases like AIDS were reported in 92% of 129 countries, a World Health Organization survey on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic showed on Monday.
The survey, conducted in November-December 2021, showed services were "severely impacted" with "little or no improvement" from the previous survey in early 2021, the WHO said in a statement sent to journalists.
"The results of this survey highlight the importance of urgent action to address major health system challenges, recover services and mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic," the WHO said.Emergency care, which includes ambulance and ER services, actually worsened with 36% of countries reporting disruptions versus 29% in early 2021 and 21% in the first survey in 2020.
Elective operations such as hip and knee replacements were disrupted in 59% of the countries and gaps to rehabilitative and palliative care were reported in about half of them. The survey's timing coincided with surging COVID-19 cases in many countries in late 2021 due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant, piling additional strain on hospitals.
The WHO statement attributed the scale of disruptions to "pre-existing health systems issues" as well as decreased demand for care, without elaborating.Reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Nick Macfie
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Daily COVID-19 cases have dropped almost 90% in less than 2 weeks in OhioThe Ohio Department of Health reported 2,594 new COVID-19 cases in the state Monday, a decrease of 87.5% from two weeks ago on Jan. 26, when 20,752 daily cases were reported. Recent data the ODH shows a significant and consistent downward trend in cases and hospitalizations.
Read more »
COVID Smell Loss and Long COVID Linked to InflammationHamsters eating Cocoa Krispies reveal inflammation pathways from the olfactory system to the brain.
Read more »
Covid-19 news: Chinese study predicts impact of ending zero covidToday’s covid-19 news: · Chinese researchers predict 2 million deaths if zero covid restrictions lifted · Australia plans to reopen its borders this month · Hong Kong records its highest number of cases
Read more »
Covid-19: One Covid-related death and 2,694 more casesThe total number of deaths linked to the virus reported by the Department of Health is 3,128.
Read more »
Mexico’s Fourth Richest Person, Mining Mogul Alberto Bailleres, Dead At 90The billionaire mining mogul died on February 2 in Mexico City.
Read more »
'90 Day Fiancé': Caleb and Alina Split for This Heartbreaking ReasonCaleb and Alina split after Caleb admitted he didn't see himself dating a little person long-term.
Read more »