WHO Says COVID-19 Disrupts Health Services In More Than 90 Percent Of The World's Countries

Ilustrasi WHO. (Wikimedia Commons/United States Mission Geneva)

JAKARTA - Disruptions in basic health services such as vaccination programs and treatment of diseases such as AIDS were reported in 92 percent of 129 countries, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) survey on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Monday.

The survey, conducted in November-December 2021, showed services were 'severely impacted' with 'little to no improvement' from the previous survey in early 2021, WHO said in a statement sent to reporters.

"The results of this survey highlight the importance of urgent action to address key health system challenges, restore services and mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic," WHO said.

Emergency care, which includes ambulance services and emergency departments, has actually deteriorated with 36 percent of countries reporting disruptions compared to 29 percent in early 2021 and 21 percent in the first survey in 2020.

Elective surgeries such as hip and knee replacements are disrupted in 59 percent of countries, and gaps for rehabilitative and palliative care are reported in about half.

Please note, the timing of the survey coincides with a spike in COVID-19 cases in many countries in late 2021 due to the highly contagious variant of Omicron, adding to the additional burden on hospitals.

The WHO statement attributed the scale of the disruption to "pre-existing health system problems" as well as declining demand for care, without elaborating.