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Assessment of maternal and child health care services performance in the context of COVID-19 pandemic in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia : evidence from routine service data

Gebreegziabher, Senedu Bekele ; Marrye, Solomon Sisay ; Kumssa, Tsegaye Hailu ; Merga, Kassa Haile ; Feleke, Alemu Kibret ; Dare, Degu Jerene ; Hallström, Inger Kristensson LU ; Yimer, Solomon Abebe and Shargie, Mulatu Biru LU (2022) In Reproductive Health 19(1).
Abstract

Background: In many settings, health care service provision has been modified to managing COVID-19 cases, and this has been affecting the provision of maternal and child health services. The aim of this study was to assess trends in selected maternal and child health services performance in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional data review was conducted in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from April to May 2021. Routine health management information system database was reviewed from Addis Ababa Health Bureau for the period from July 2019 to March 2021 across all quarters. Proportion and mean with standard deviation were computed. T-test was used to assess statistically significant differences in services mean performance.... (More)

Background: In many settings, health care service provision has been modified to managing COVID-19 cases, and this has been affecting the provision of maternal and child health services. The aim of this study was to assess trends in selected maternal and child health services performance in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional data review was conducted in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from April to May 2021. Routine health management information system database was reviewed from Addis Ababa Health Bureau for the period from July 2019 to March 2021 across all quarters. Proportion and mean with standard deviation were computed. T-test was used to assess statistically significant differences in services mean performance. Results: Postnatal care visit, new contraceptives accepters, safe abortion care and number of under-5 years old children treated for pneumonia significantly decreased by 9.3% (p-value 0.04), 20.3% (p-value 0.004), 23.7% (p-value 0.01) and 77.2% (p-value < 0.001), respectively during the first 8 months of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the previous 8 months’ average performance. The trends in Antenatal care first visit, new contraceptive accepters, pentavalent-3 vaccination and under-five children treated for pneumonia began to decline in January to March 2020, a quarter when the COVID-19 pandemic began; with accelerated declines in April to June 2020 following national lockdown. The trends for the stated services began to increase during July–September 2020, the last quarter of national lockdown. Contraceptive accepters and pentavalent-1 vaccination continued to decline and showed no recovery until January–March 2021 when this study was completed. Conclusions: Most of the maternal and child health services performance declined following the onset of COVID-19 pandemic and national lockdown, and most of the services began recovering during July–September 2020, the last quarter of national lockdown. However, new and repeat contraceptive accepters and pentavalent-1 recipients continue to decline and show no recovery during end of the study period. Implementing COVID-19 prevention measures and assuring the community about the safety of service delivery is imperative to ensure continuity of the maternal and child health services. Regular monitoring and evaluation of services performance is required to identify slowly recovering services and respond to potentially volatile changes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Addis Ababa, Child, COVID-19, Ethiopia, Health services, Maternal, Pandemic, Routine service data
in
Reproductive Health
volume
19
issue
1
article number
42
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • scopus:85124808545
  • pmid:35164776
ISSN
1742-4755
DOI
10.1186/s12978-022-01353-6
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e1fa6a5a-7da5-4734-92b0-70e8b9d50216
date added to LUP
2022-04-12 11:05:23
date last changed
2024-06-18 03:03:21
@article{e1fa6a5a-7da5-4734-92b0-70e8b9d50216,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: In many settings, health care service provision has been modified to managing COVID-19 cases, and this has been affecting the provision of maternal and child health services. The aim of this study was to assess trends in selected maternal and child health services performance in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional data review was conducted in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from April to May 2021. Routine health management information system database was reviewed from Addis Ababa Health Bureau for the period from July 2019 to March 2021 across all quarters. Proportion and mean with standard deviation were computed. T-test was used to assess statistically significant differences in services mean performance. Results: Postnatal care visit, new contraceptives accepters, safe abortion care and number of under-5 years old children treated for pneumonia significantly decreased by 9.3% (p-value 0.04), 20.3% (p-value 0.004), 23.7% (p-value 0.01) and 77.2% (p-value &lt; 0.001), respectively during the first 8 months of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the previous 8 months’ average performance. The trends in Antenatal care first visit, new contraceptive accepters, pentavalent-3 vaccination and under-five children treated for pneumonia began to decline in January to March 2020, a quarter when the COVID-19 pandemic began; with accelerated declines in April to June 2020 following national lockdown. The trends for the stated services began to increase during July–September 2020, the last quarter of national lockdown. Contraceptive accepters and pentavalent-1 vaccination continued to decline and showed no recovery until January–March 2021 when this study was completed. Conclusions: Most of the maternal and child health services performance declined following the onset of COVID-19 pandemic and national lockdown, and most of the services began recovering during July–September 2020, the last quarter of national lockdown. However, new and repeat contraceptive accepters and pentavalent-1 recipients continue to decline and show no recovery during end of the study period. Implementing COVID-19 prevention measures and assuring the community about the safety of service delivery is imperative to ensure continuity of the maternal and child health services. Regular monitoring and evaluation of services performance is required to identify slowly recovering services and respond to potentially volatile changes during the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>}},
  author       = {{Gebreegziabher, Senedu Bekele and Marrye, Solomon Sisay and Kumssa, Tsegaye Hailu and Merga, Kassa Haile and Feleke, Alemu Kibret and Dare, Degu Jerene and Hallström, Inger Kristensson and Yimer, Solomon Abebe and Shargie, Mulatu Biru}},
  issn         = {{1742-4755}},
  keywords     = {{Addis Ababa; Child; COVID-19; Ethiopia; Health services; Maternal; Pandemic; Routine service data}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{Reproductive Health}},
  title        = {{Assessment of maternal and child health care services performance in the context of COVID-19 pandemic in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia : evidence from routine service data}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12978-022-01353-6}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/s12978-022-01353-6}},
  volume       = {{19}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}