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. 2020 May 20;35(Suppl 2):43.
doi: 10.11604/pamj.supp.2020.35.2.23115. eCollection 2020.

Continuity of health service delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic: the role of digital health technologies in Uganda

Louis Henry Kamulegeya  1 , John Mark Bwanika  1 , Davis Musinguzi  1 , Pauline Bakibinga  2
Affiliations

Continuity of health service delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic: the role of digital health technologies in Uganda

Louis Henry Kamulegeya et al. Pan Afr Med J. .

Abstract

In response to coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic (COVID-19), the government of Uganda instituted movement restrictions to curb disease spread. However, this affected accessibility to medical services in a setting where the healthcare system is not equipped to handle most healthcare needs of the populace outside hospital premises. This gap led to the prominence and unprecedented rise in the use of digital health technologies to deliver health information and services at a distance (telehealth) during the COVID-19 outbreak. The use of telehealth modalities including tele-consultation, tele-psychiatry, call centers and mobile phone health information dissemination increased. The COVID-19 pandemic augmented the rising role of digital health technologies as a much needed aspect of medical service delivery in our times. However, the efficacy and impact on clinical outcomes across various healthcare thematic areas need to be explored further and more evidence generated.

Keywords: COVID-19; Uganda; digital health; telehealth; telemedicine.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author declares no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Rocket health call center in use during COVID-19 outbreak
Figure 2
Figure 2
Client feedback experience from utilizing the mobile medical services during COVID-19 lockdown
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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