Tb cotrol In India In the Covid era
Autor
Behera, D.
Institución
Resumen
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel corona virus, severe acute respiratory
syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has upset the major public health care system
throughout the world. Globally, by 3rd July 2020, there have been 10,719,946 confirmed
cases of COVID-19, including 517,337 deaths, reported to WHO. In India, from Jan 30th
to 3rd July 2020, there have been 625,544 confirmed cases of COVID-19
with 18,213 deaths (1). The COVID 19 pandemic has placed unprecedented demands
and pressure on the health system. Health facilities and workforce are diverted and
assigned a wide variety of activities related to controlling the outbreak. In doing so,
other essential health services would be severely compromised. It is likely that seeking
health care may be deferred because of social/physical distancing requirements or
community reluctance owing to perceptions that health facilities may be infected.,
Continuing to provide essential services, while focusing on COVID 19 related activities, is
important not only to maintain people’s trust in the health care delivery system (2), but
also to minimize an increase in morbidity and mortality from other health conditions.
During the Ebola outbreak in 2014-15, increased number of deaths was caused by
measles, malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis because of failure in the health system and
that exceeded deaths from Ebola itself (3, 4). Prevention and treatment services for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are affected severely since the pandemic began. A WHO
survey completed by 155 countries during a 3-week period in May 2020, confirmed that
the impact is global, but low-income countries are the most affected (5). More than half
(53%) of the countries surveyed have partially or completely disrupted services for
hypertension treatment; 49% for treatment for diabetes and diabetes-related
complications; 42% for cancer treatment, and 31% for cardiovascular
emergencies.