module 5 - s3.xopic.de

WHO GUIDANCE FOR MAINTENANCE OF ESSENTIAL HEALTH

SERVICES

MODULE 5

LEARNING

OBJECTIVES

• Describe the principles of

maintaining essential NTD

health services

• Explain how NTD programme

activities can be modified for

the safe delivery of services

Photo Credit: © WHO / Catalina Cardenas

By the end of this module,

you should be able to:

WHO GUIDANCE ON MAINTENANCE OF ESSENTIAL HEALTH SERVICES

Focus on health facility-based interventions in the

context of COVID-19

• Part 1 on operational strategies for maintaining

essential health services

• Part 2 on specific considerations:

o Life-course stages

o Nutrition, noncommunicable diseases and

mental health

o Communicable diseases

https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/331561

https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/331561

MAINTAINING ESSENTIAL HEALTH SERVICES: CONTEXT

• Countries need to make decisions to balance the

demands of responding directly to COVID-19, while

simultaneously maintaining essential health service

delivery

• Existing delivery approaches for health services must

be adapted as the risk-benefit analysis for any given

activity changes in the context of the pandemic

MAINTAINING ESSENTIAL HEALTH SERVICES: CONTEXT

• Decisions should be aligned with relevant national and

subnational policies and should be re-evaluated at

regular intervals as the pandemic evolves

• Different areas, even within the same country, may

require different approaches to designating essential

services and to reorienting health system resources

and processes to maintain these services amidst the

COVID-19 pandemic

MAINTAINING ESSENTIAL HEALTH

SERVICES: PRINCIPLES

• Rapidly assess and re-distribute health

workforce capacity, including by re-

assignment and optimizing tasks and

roles

• Maintain availability of essential

medications, equipment, and supplies

• Optimize service delivery through

integration

NTD PROGRAMMES AND DISEASE-

SPECIFIC ADAPTATION

• Maintain essential screening, diagnostic

and treatment services for NTDs

associated with high morbidity, mortality

and severe complications, as per WHO

and/or national protocols


SPECIFIC ADAPTATION

• It’s recommended that programmes

maintain diagnostic and management

services for:

o The most critical cases (e.g., Buruli

ulcer, Chagas disease, dengue,

human African trypanosomiasis,

leprosy, rabies, snake bite

envenoming, visceral leishmaniasis,

neurocysticercosis), and

o For severe complications of all other

NTDs


SPECIFIC ADAPTATION

• Maintain systems and databases for

programme monitoring (including patient

and laboratory registers, treatment

outcome monitoring cards) so that data

on implemented activities can continue

• Meet deadlines for annual reports on

progress, and requests for procurement

or donation of medicines and diagnostics


SPECIFIC ADAPTATION

• Outbreak-prone diseases (e.g. dengue,

cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis)

should be monitored for clustering of cases,

and if outbreaks are identified, preventive

measures should be implemented to reduce

transmission

• Programmes need to ensure that resources

are in place to support activities for the

tentative new dates, taking into account the

need to maintain established protective

measures


SPECIFIC ADAPTATION

• Prioritize completing planned impact

assessments as soon as possible

PROGRAMME ACTIVITIES, MODIFICATIONS AND ADAPTATIONS

BURULI ULCER

Programme activities Modifications for safe

delivery of services

Transition towards

restoration of activities

Diagnosis,

confirmatory

diagnosis with PCR*

and antibiotic

treatment

(*) PCR: polymerase chain reaction

Give presumptive

treatment in the

absence of PCR

confirmation

Restore capacity to

undertake PCR for

Mycobacterium

ulcerans


BURULI ULCER



Transition towards


Diagnosis,

confirmatory

diagnosis with PCR*

and antibiotic

treatment


Provide patients with

sufficient stocks of

medicines to cover the

total period of

treatment

Consider

undertaking catch-

up active case-

finding in areas

where presentations

to health facilities

decrease during the

COVID-19

pandemic


BURULI ULCER



Transition towards


Surgical

interventions and

rehabilitation


Suspend non-urgent

surgical interventions

and rehabilitation

when there is minimal

risk of deformity if

treatment is delayed

Return to normal

protocols when

routine surgical and

rehabilitative

services become

available


CHAGAS DISEASE



Transition towards


Screening of

newborns and other

children of infected

mothers for early

diagnosis and

treatment

Continue screening

newborns and children

of infected mothers if

feasible, but if not,

refer to other facilities

or modify in line with

maternal and child

health services

N/A


DENGUE



Transition towards


Diagnosis, using a

good-quality RDT°

and confirmatory

PCR*

Sustain differential

diagnosis of

suspected dengue

cases for COVID-19

N/A

(°) RDT: rapid diagnostic test; (*) PCR: polymerase chain reaction


DENGUE



Transition towards


Diagnosis, using a

good-quality RDT°

and confirmatory

PCR*

In dengue-endemic

areas in which

transmission is

occurring, diagnostics

for dengue (high-

quality RDTs and

PCR) should be in

place

N/A



DENGUE



Transition towards


Diagnosis, using a

good-quality RDT°

and confirmatory

PCR*

Health workers should

monitor for warning signs

and signs of severe

dengue, and they should be

prepared for an increase in

the number of severe

dengue cases, ensuring

access to care to prevent

unnecessary mortality

N/A



ECHINOCOCCOSIS

Programme activities Modifications for safe delivery of

services

Transition towards


Case

management

Screening services can be

delayed

Restart when

capacity for

screening and

appropriate case

management have

been restored


ECHINOCOCCOSIS

Programme activities Modifications for safe delivery of

services

Transition towards


Case

management

Case management may be

delayed based on the type

of echinococcosis (e.g.

delay is generally less risky

for cystic echinococcosis

than for alveolar

echinococcosis), stage,

cyst localization, resources

and training

Restart when

capacity for

screening and

appropriate case

management have

been restored


CUTANEOUS LEISHMANIASIS



Transition towards


Early diagnosis When possible, prioritize

the treatment of severe

cases, including the

diffuse, disseminated

and mucocutaneous

forms, or cases in which

the patient is at risk of

disfigurement and life-

threatening

complications

Restart when the

capacity to treat

cutaneous

leishmaniasis is

restored


LEPROSY (HANSEN’S DISEASE)

Programme

activities

Modifications for safe delivery

of services

Transition towards restoration of

activities

Treatment Provide sufficient

medicines for 2-3

months’ treatment

instead of for only 1

month

Revert to monthly follow up

(including supervised

administration of MDT

pulse dose) wherever

feasible



Programme

activities


of services


activities

Treatment Provide patients with

adequate information to

promptly identify

leprosy reactions and

about how to consult

health professionals at

the primary health care

level

Nerve function assessment

to be continued every three

months for patients on MDT

to reduce future risk of

disability

Restart disability care

including reconstructive

surgery wherever feasible



Programme

activities


of services


activities

Treatment Reduce patient contact

by promoting self-care

and instructing patient

and family members

about basic measures

to avoid and manage

sequelae (e.g. ulcers)

Basic measures to maintain

self-care should be

continued

Restart screening of

contacts for new cases

Restart community-based

campaigns wherever

feasible


LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS

Programme

activities

Modifications for safe



activities

Management

of

lymphoedema

Maintain facility-based

acute care for wounds

and acute episodes of

adenolymphangitis

Restart when capacity to

provide routine

management of

lymphoedema or

emergency treatment is

restored



Programme

activities




activities

Management

of

lymphoedema

In order to limit facility

contacts, instruct

family members or

care providers in

lymphoedema

management where

feasible


provide routine

management of

lymphoedema or


restored



Programme

activities




activities

Management

of

lymphoedema

Postpone any

community outreach

and case searches

until transition to

routine programme

activities is completed


provide routine

management of

lymphoedema or


restored





Transition towards


Surgery for

hydrocele

Where availability of

surgical services is

limited, hydrocele

surgeries may be

postponed. Surgical

camps should be

postponed

Restart when capacity

to provide routine

management of

hydrocele is restored.

Promote service

restoration; there may

be a need to

temporarily increase

service capacity to

manage backlog


SCABIES



Transition towards


Prompt case

management with

topical permethrin

cream or lotion or

oral ivermectin

Monitor closely any

increase in cases,

especially in high-risk

areas, for early

detection and control

of potential outbreaks

N/A


TRACHOMA

Programme

activities

Modifications for safe delivery of

services

Transition towards


Management

of trichiasis in

patients

presenting to

health care

facilities

Where surgical services are

limited, prioritize surgical

correction of trichiasis cases in

whom greater numbers of

eyelashes touch the cornea or

where trichiasis affects the only

eye with good vision. For other

patients, consider instructing a

family member to undertake

careful epilation with high-quality

forceps

Restart when ophthalmic

surgical services have

been restored, and

actively promote service

restoration to affected

populations

There may be a need to

temporarily increase

service capacity to

manage backlog


YAWS



Transition towards


Treatment Initiate presumptive

treatment in the

absence of laboratory

confirmation

N/A

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