TY - JOUR
T1 - Impact of COVID-19 on the utilisation of maternal and child health services in Peru at national and subnational levels
T2 - An interrupted time series analysis
AU - Huicho, Luis
AU - Huayanay-Espinoza, Carlos A.
AU - Valladares, Rodrigo
AU - Oviedo-Rios, Alvaro G.
AU - Ruiz-Lopez, Soleda S.
AU - Akseer, Nadia
AU - Maïga, Abdoulaye
AU - Matijasevich, Alicia
AU - Amouzou, Agbessi
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s)
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Background The resilience of Peru's health system was weakened by a political crisis that started in 2016 and was further challenged by the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We assessed the indirect impact of the pandemic on the utilisation of essential maternal and child health (MCH) services in Peru at national and subnational levels. Methods We assessed the trends in MCH services utilisation and the percentage change from 2018 to 2021, using routine health facility data. We used an interrupted time series analysis to quantify the impact of COVID-19 on the utilisation of health services. Results The utilisation of most maternal and child health services dropped dramatically in 2020 after the outbreak. However, we observed a quick recovery in 2021, with service utilisation fairly similar or higher to the pre-pandemic period (2018–2019). The decrease was higher in the utilisation of antenatal care visit one or more (incidence rate ratio (IRR)=0.79; 95% CI=0.74–0.83) and antenatal care visits four or more (IRR= 0.76; 95%=0.74–0.79) in 2020. The IRR showed a drop of 5, 6, 9, and 13% in the utilisation of skilled birth attendances, institutional deliveries, caesarean sections and postnatal care visits within two days of childbirth, respectively in 2020 in comparison to pre-pandemic service utilisation. In 2020 the utilisation decreased in all three natural regions, with the Rainforest being the most affected. In 2021 there was a recovery in all natural regions. Conclusions The pandemic decreased the utilisation of essential maternal and child health services in Peru. This highlights the need to preserve the resilience of a health system both at central and local levels, to face more successfully future pandemics.
AB - Background The resilience of Peru's health system was weakened by a political crisis that started in 2016 and was further challenged by the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We assessed the indirect impact of the pandemic on the utilisation of essential maternal and child health (MCH) services in Peru at national and subnational levels. Methods We assessed the trends in MCH services utilisation and the percentage change from 2018 to 2021, using routine health facility data. We used an interrupted time series analysis to quantify the impact of COVID-19 on the utilisation of health services. Results The utilisation of most maternal and child health services dropped dramatically in 2020 after the outbreak. However, we observed a quick recovery in 2021, with service utilisation fairly similar or higher to the pre-pandemic period (2018–2019). The decrease was higher in the utilisation of antenatal care visit one or more (incidence rate ratio (IRR)=0.79; 95% CI=0.74–0.83) and antenatal care visits four or more (IRR= 0.76; 95%=0.74–0.79) in 2020. The IRR showed a drop of 5, 6, 9, and 13% in the utilisation of skilled birth attendances, institutional deliveries, caesarean sections and postnatal care visits within two days of childbirth, respectively in 2020 in comparison to pre-pandemic service utilisation. In 2020 the utilisation decreased in all three natural regions, with the Rainforest being the most affected. In 2021 there was a recovery in all natural regions. Conclusions The pandemic decreased the utilisation of essential maternal and child health services in Peru. This highlights the need to preserve the resilience of a health system both at central and local levels, to face more successfully future pandemics.
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U2 - 10.7189/JOGH.14.05039
DO - 10.7189/JOGH.14.05039
M3 - Article
C2 - 39703982
AN - SCOPUS:85213528401
SN - 2047-2978
VL - 14
JO - Journal of global health
JF - Journal of global health
M1 - 05039
ER -