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Bogale B, Scambler S, Mohd Khairuddin AN, Gallagher JE. Health system strengthening in fragile and conflict-affected states: A review of systematic reviews. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0305234. [PMID: 38875266 PMCID: PMC11178226 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Globally, there is growing attention towards health system strengthening, and the importance of quality in health systems. However, fragile and conflict-affected states present particular challenges. The aim of this study was to explore health system strengthening in fragile and conflict-affected states by synthesising the evidence from published literature. METHODS We conducted a review of systematic reviews (Prospero Registration Number: CRD42022371955) by searching Ovid (Medline, Embase, and Global Health), Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library databases. Only English-language publications were considered. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Tool was employed to assess methodological quality of the included studies. The findings were narratively synthesised and presented in line with the Lancet's 'high-quality health system framework'. RESULTS Twenty-seven systematic reviews, out of 2,704 identified records, considered key dimensions of health systems in fragile and conflict-affected states, with the 'foundations' domain having most evidence. Significant challenges to health system strengthening, including the flight of human capital due to safety concerns and difficult working conditions, as well as limited training capacities and resources, were identified. Facilitators included community involvement, support systems and innovative financing mechanisms. The importance of coordinated and integrated responses tailored to the context and stage of the crisis situation was emphasised in order to strengthen fragile health systems. Overall, health system strengthening initiatives included policies encouraging the return and integration of displaced healthcare workers, building local healthcare workers capacity, strengthening education and training, integrating healthcare services, trust-building, supportive supervision, and e-Health utilisation. CONCLUSION The emerging body of evidence on health system strengthening in fragile and conflict-affected states highlights its complexity. The findings underscore the significance of adopting a comprehensive approach and engaging various stakeholders in a coordinated manner considering the stage and context of the situation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birke Bogale
- Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Dental and Maxillofacial Surgery, St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Sasha Scambler
- Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Aina Najwa Mohd Khairuddin
- Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Community Oral Health and Clinical Prevention, Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Jennifer E. Gallagher
- Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
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Khatri RB, Endalamaw A, Erku D, Wolka E, Nigatu F, Zewdie A, Assefa Y. Preparedness, impacts, and responses of public health emergencies towards health security: qualitative synthesis of evidence. Arch Public Health 2023; 81:208. [PMID: 38037151 PMCID: PMC10687930 DOI: 10.1186/s13690-023-01223-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Natural and human-made public health emergencies (PHEs), such as armed conflicts, floods, and disease outbreaks, influence health systems including interruption of delivery and utilization of health services, and increased health service needs. However, the intensity and types of impacts of these PHEs vary across countries due to several associated factors. This scoping review aimed to synthesise available evidence on PHEs, their preparedness, impacts, and responses. METHODS We conducted a scoping review of published evidence. Studies were identified using search terms related to two concepts: health security and primary health care. We used Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines to select studies. We adapted the review framework of Arksey and O'Malley. Data were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach and explained under three stages of PHEs: preparedness, impacts, and responses. RESULTS A total of 64 studies were included in this review. Health systems of many low- and middle-income countries had inadequate preparedness to absorb the shocks of PHEs, limited surveillance, and monitoring of risks. Health systems have been overburdened with interrupted health services, increased need for health services, poor health resilience, and health inequities. Strategies of response to the impact of PHEs included integrated services such as public health and primary care, communication and partnership across sectors, use of digital tools, multisectoral coordination and actions, system approach to responses, multidisciplinary providers, and planning for resilient health systems. CONCLUSIONS Public health emergencies have high impacts in countries with weak health systems, inadequate preparedness, and inadequate surveillance mechanisms. Better health system preparedness is required to absorb the impact, respond to the consequences, and adapt for future PHEs. Some potential response strategies could be ensuring need-based health services, monitoring and surveillance of post-emergency outbreaks, and multisectoral actions to engage sectors to address the collateral impacts of PHEs. Mitigation strategies for future PHEs could include risk assessment, disaster preparedness, and setting digital alarm systems for monitoring and surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Resham B Khatri
- Health Social Science and Development Research Institute, Kathmandu, Nepal.
- School of Public Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
| | - Aklilu Endalamaw
- School of Public Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Daniel Erku
- Centre for Applied Health Economics, School of Medicine, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Eskinder Wolka
- International Institute for Primary Health Care-Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Frehiwot Nigatu
- International Institute for Primary Health Care-Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Anteneh Zewdie
- International Institute for Primary Health Care-Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Yibeltal Assefa
- School of Public Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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Mejia CR, Alvarez-Risco A, Chamorro-Espinoza S, Castillón-Lozano JA, Paucar MC, Padilla-F VJ, Armada J, Vilela-Estrada MA, Serna-Alarcón V, Del-Aguila-Arcentales S, Yáñez JA. Crisis due to war: anxiety, depression and stress in the population of 13 Latin American countries. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1218298. [PMID: 37547209 PMCID: PMC10398955 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1218298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Sustainability may be at risk in a population that has altered health, according to Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3): Health and well-being. The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine could jeopardize SDG 3, specifically the mental health of the population. The present study sought to determine the association between severe anxiety, depression and stress in population of 13 Latin American countries according to fear about the war conflict. It was a cross-sectional, analytical and multicenter study. Anxiety, depression and stress were measured with the DASS-21 test (Cronbach's Alpha: 0.97) and fear due to an armed crisis with a questionnaire already validated in Latin America (Cronbach's Alpha: 0.92), which was also adjusted for sex, age, education level and country of residence. Descriptive and analytical statistics were obtained. Of the 2,626 respondents, the main fear was that weapons of mass destruction would be used. In the multivariate models, strong associations were found between fear of a possible world-scale armed conflict and having severe or very severe levels of anxiety (aPR: 1.97; 95% CI: 1.64-2.36; value of p <0.001), depression (aPR: 1.91; 95% CI: 1.54-2.36; value of p <0.001) or stress (aPR: 2.05; 95% CI: 1.63-2.57; value of p <0.001). Sustainability linked to SDG 3, specifically mental health, is affected by this type of significant events, given the possible global war crisis that could trigger major events, even more so if added to the deterioration already experienced by COVID-19 in the Latin American region, insecurity and constant political uncertainty.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Scherlli Chamorro-Espinoza
- Universidad de Aquino Bolivia, Santa Cruz, Bolivia
- Asociación Médica de Investigación y Servicios en Salud, Lima, Peru
| | - Jorge Andrés Castillón-Lozano
- Facultad de Medicina, Grupo de investigación Infettare, Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia, Medellín, Colombia
- Asociación de Sociedades Científicas de Estudiantes de Medicina de Colombia (ASCEMCOL), Bogota, Colombia
| | | | - Valeria J. Padilla-F
- Federación Latinoamericana de Sociedades Científicas de Estudiantes de Medicina, Asunción, Paraguay
- Universidad Autónoma Juan Misael Saracho, Tarija, Bolivia
| | | | | | - Victor Serna-Alarcón
- Escuela Profesional de Medicina Humana, Universidad Privada Antenor Orrego, Trujillo, Peru
- Hospital José Cayetano Heredia, EsSalud, Piura, Peru
| | | | - Jaime A. Yáñez
- Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Universidad Norbert Wiener, Lima, Peru
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Duden GS, Gersdorf S, Stengler K. Global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health services: A systematic review. J Psychiatr Res 2022; 154:354-377. [PMID: 36055116 PMCID: PMC9392550 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of the review was to investigate the changes in mental health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. A systematic review of qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods studies was conducted from February 2021 to March 2022 using four databases and five languages. 29 studies reporting on mental health services in 63 countries were included. Findings were organised according to nine major topics: (1) lack of preparedness vs. timely response and flexible solutions, (2) changes in access, referrals, and admission, (3) impacts on outpatient, community and psychosocial services, (4) inpatient: reorganisation of hospital psychiatric units/acute wards, (5) diagnostic and therapeutic adaptations, (6) effects on medication, (7) infection control measures, (8), changes in patients' demands, engagement, and mental health, and (9) impacts on staff and team. Many services were closed intermittently or considerably reduced while telepsychiatric services were extensively expanded. Face-to-face services decreased, as did the work with therapeutic groups. Many inpatient units restructured their services to accommodate COVID-19 patients. While the digitalisation of services allowed for better access to services for some, restrictive measures hindered access for most. Staff experienced changes such as heightened impacts on their own mental health, burdens on patients and the pausing of professional training. Clearly, diverse findings of studies relate to different (national) contexts, type of service offered, but also to the time of the investigation, as studies noted several distinct phases of change during the pandemic. This review suggests directions for policy and service development, such as fostering community services and providing support services for particularly vulnerable populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stefanie Gersdorf
- Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, Eiskellerstraße 1, 40213, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Katarina Stengler
- Zentrum für Seelische Gesundheit, Helios Park-Klinikum Leipzig Psychiatrische Kliniken, Morawitzstraße 2, 04289, Leipzig, Germany
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Impact of COVID-19 on Neuropsychiatric Disorders. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11175213. [PMID: 36079143 PMCID: PMC9456667 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11175213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2022] [Revised: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), many studies have shown that besides common COVID-19 symptoms, patients may develop various neuropsychiatric conditions including anxiety, mood disorders, psychosis, neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., dementia), insomnia, and even substance abuse disorders. COVID-19 can also worsen the patients underlying neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions during or after the system phase of disease. In this review, we discuss the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on development or status of neuropsychiatric conditions during or following COVID-19.
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