The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the preventive services in Qatar

  • Mohamed Ghaith Al-Kuwari
    Family and Community Medicine, Primary Health Care Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
    https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9158-5395
  • Mariam Ali Abdulmalik
    Family and Community Medicine, Primary Health Care Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
  • Hamad Rashid Al-Mudahka
    Family and Community Medicine, Primary Health Care Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
  • Ahmad Haj Bakri
    Health intelligence, Primary Health Care Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
  • Wadha Ahmed Al-Baker
    Family and Community Medicine, Primary Health Care Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
  • Shaikha Sami Abushaikha
    Family and Community Medicine, Primary Health Care Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
  • Mujeeb Chettiyam Kandy
    Health intelligence, Primary Health Care Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
  • John Gibb
    Health intelligence, Primary Health Care Corporation, Doha, Qatar.

ABSTRACT

Background: In March 2020, Qatar started reporting increased numbers of COVID-19 cases. At that stage, containment measures were put in place. The health authority in Qatar developed an emergency action plan to respond to the outbreak with the Primary Health Care as the main component of that response and suspended all non-urgent services including preventive health services. The aim of the retrospective analysis to measure the Impact of COVID-19 on the preventive services provided in Qatar.
Methods: A retrospective data analysis was conducted for all the preventive services utilization volume across the 27 PHCC health centres from the 1st of January 2017 to the 31st of July 2020.
Results: With 17,012 no-show appointments, well-baby and Immunization services utilization demonstrated a reduction of 40% in May and started to come back to volumes higher than expected in June. The breast cancer and colorectal cancer screening programmes expected volumes demand has dropped by 100% in comparison to 2017 demand due to their respective appointments’ cancelation. Wellness services only met 20% of its projected utilization in April, however, the services picked up in June.
Conclusion: These findings will guide the public health policymakers to understand the effects COVID-19 on preventive services and the risk of having an increased number of outbreaks for childhood communicable disease, cancer cases with delayed diagnosis due to the screening services suspension. In addition, the plan will address the increased number of sedately behaviour due to the service's reduced utilization of wellness services.

REFERENCES

WHO. Novel coronavirus (2019-NCoV) weekly epidemiological update. Geneva: World Health Organization, August 17, 2020. Accessed: August 18, 2020. Available from: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200817-weekly-epi-update-1.pdf?sfvrsn=b6d49a76_4

Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering [Internet]. Coronavirus resource center: COVID-19 dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU). Accessed: August 17, 2020. Available from: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html

WHO. COVID-19: operational guidance for maintaining essential health services during an outbreak. Accessed: July 12, 2020. Available from: https://www.who.int/ publications-detail/covid-19-operational-guidance-for-maintainingessential-health-services-during-an-outbreak

Elston JWT, Cartwright C, Ndumbi P, Wright J. The health impact of the 2014-15 Ebola outbreak. Public Health 2017;143:60–70. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2016.10.020

WHO. Report of the WHO–China Joint Mission on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Accessed: July 12, 2020. Available from: Feb 28, 2020. https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/who-china-joint-mission-on-covid-19-final-report.pdf

Wilhelm JA, Helleringer S. Utilization of non-Ebola health care services during Ebola outbreaks: a systematic review and metaanalysis. J Glob Health 2019;9:010406.

WHO. Managing epidemics: key facts about major deadly diseases. 2018. Accessed: July 12, 2020. Available from: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/managingepidemics/en/

Gilbert M, Pullano G, Pinotti F, et al. Preparedness and vulnerability of African countries against importations of COVID-19: a modelling study. Lancet 2020;395:871–7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30411-6

Brolin Ribacke KJ, Saulnier DD, Eriksson A, von Schreeb J. Effects of the west Africa Ebola virus disease on health-care utilization—a systematic review. Front Public Health 2016;4:222. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2016.00222

Ji Y, Ma Z, Peppelenbosch MP, Pan Q. Potential association between COVID-19 mortality and health-care resource availability. Lancet Glob Health 2020;8:e480. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(20)30068-1

Ratcliffe R. Teargas, beatings and bleach: the most extreme Covid-19 lockdown controls around the world. April 1, 2020. Accessed: July 13, 2020. Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/apr/01/extremecoronavirus-lockdown-controls-raise-fears-for-worlds-poorest

Roberton T, Carter ED, Chou VB, et al, Early estimates of the indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal and child mortality in low-income and middle-income countries: a modelling study. Lancet Glob Health 2020;8 e901-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(20)30229-1

Ministry of Public Health. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Updates. Qatar, 2020. Accessed: August 20, 2020. Available from: https://covid19.moph.gov.qa/EN/Pages/default.aspx

Del Vecchio Blanco G, Calabrese E, Biancone L, et al. The impact of COVID-19 pandemic in the colorectal cancer prevention. Int J Colorectal Dis 2020. doi: 10.1007/s00384-020-03635-6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00384-020-03635-6

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence; July 26, 2017. Suspected Cancer: recognition and referral. Available from: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng12

Maringe C, Spicer J, Morris M, et al. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer deaths due to delays in diagnosis in England, UK: a national, population-based, modelling study. Lancet Oncol 2020;21:1023-34. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(20)30388-0

McDonald HI, Tessier E, White JM, et al. Early impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and physical distancing measures on routine childhood vaccinations in England, January to April 2020. Euro Surveill 2020;25:2000848. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.19.2000848

Suk JE, Paez Jimenez A, Kourouma M, et al. Post-Ebola measles outbreak in Lola, Guinea, January-June 2015. Emerg Infect Dis 2016;22:1106-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2206.151652

Cancello R, Soranna D, Zambra G, et al. Determinants of the lifestyle changes during COVID-19 pandemic in the residents of Northern Italy. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020;17:6287. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17176287