A Review of COVID-19 Response Challenges in Ethiopia

doi:10.3390/ijerph191711070

Review

. 2022 Sep 4;19(17):11070.

doi: 10.3390/ijerph191711070.

A Review of COVID-19 Response Challenges in Ethiopia

Abdulnasir Abagero^{1

2

3}, Luca Ragazzoni^{1

4}, Ives Hubloue², Francesco Barone-Adesi^{1

5}, Hamdi Lamine^{1

4

6}, Adamu Addissie³, Francesco Della Corte^{1

5}, Martina Valente^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ CRIMEDIM-Center for Research and Training in Disaster Medicine, Humanitarian Aid and Global Health, Università del Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Novara, Italy.
² ReGEDiM-Research Group on Emergency Disaster Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
³ Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa 70710, Ethiopia.
⁴ Department of Sustainable Development and Ecological Transition, University of Eastern Piedmont, 28100 Novara, Italy.
⁵ Department of Translational Medicine, University of Eastern Piedmont, 28100 Novara, Italy.
⁶ Faculty of medicine Ibn Aljazzar of Sousse, University of Sousse, Sousse 4002, Tunisia.

PMID: 36078785
PMCID: PMC9518440
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191711070

Review

A Review of COVID-19 Response Challenges in Ethiopia

Abdulnasir Abagero et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022.

. 2022 Sep 4;19(17):11070.

doi: 10.3390/ijerph191711070.

Authors

Abdulnasir Abagero^{1

2

3}, Luca Ragazzoni^{1

4}, Ives Hubloue², Francesco Barone-Adesi^{1

5}, Hamdi Lamine^{1

4

6}, Adamu Addissie³, Francesco Della Corte^{1

5}, Martina Valente^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ CRIMEDIM-Center for Research and Training in Disaster Medicine, Humanitarian Aid and Global Health, Università del Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Novara, Italy.
² ReGEDiM-Research Group on Emergency Disaster Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
³ Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa 70710, Ethiopia.
⁴ Department of Sustainable Development and Ecological Transition, University of Eastern Piedmont, 28100 Novara, Italy.
⁵ Department of Translational Medicine, University of Eastern Piedmont, 28100 Novara, Italy.
⁶ Faculty of medicine Ibn Aljazzar of Sousse, University of Sousse, Sousse 4002, Tunisia.

PMID: 36078785
PMCID: PMC9518440
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191711070

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has positioned fragile healthcare systems in low-income countries under pressure, leading to critical gaps in service delivery. The pandemic response demands the healthcare system to be resilient and continue provision of healthcare services. This review is aimed at describing the healthcare response challenges during the pandemic in Ethiopia.

Methodology: Eligible studies dealing with challenges of the healthcare system in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia were included. The six World Health Organization (WHO) healthcare system building blocks were used to categorize healthcare challenges. PubMed ProQuest, databases were searched, and results were summarized using systematic review synthesis.

Results: Financial constraints led to a shortage of mechanical ventilators. Furthermore, the pandemic hindered the capacity to avail full packages of personal protective equipment in health facilities and intensive care capacity. The pandemic also affected the delivery of maternal, child and new-born services, prevention, and treatment of childhood illness, including immunization services.

Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic posed various challenges to the performance of the healthcare system in Ethiopia. It is recommended that policy makers and stakeholders enhance pandemic preparedness and strengthen response capacity by considering the six WHO healthcare system building blocks.

Keywords: COVID-19; healthcare system; pandemic response; resilience.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

**Figure 1**
Map of the locations of the studies.

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References

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1. Bong C.-L., Brasher C., Chikumba E., McDougall R., Mellin-Olsen J., Enright A. The COVID-19 Pandemic: Effects on Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Anesthesia Analg. 2020;131:86–92. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000004846. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
1. Ahmed T., Rahman A.E., Amole T.G., Galadanci H., Matjila M., Soma-Pillay P., Gillespie B.M., El Arifeen S., Anumba D.O.C. The effect of COVID-19 on maternal newborn and child health (MNCH) services in Bangladesh, Nigeria and South Africa: Call for a contextualised pandemic response in LMICs. Int. J. Equity Health. 2021;20:77. doi: 10.1186/s12939-021-01414-5. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

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[1] World Health Organization (WHO) Everybody’s Business: Strengthening Health Systems to Improve Health Outcomes—WHO’s Framework for Action. WHO; Geneva, Switzerland: 2007.

[2] World Health Organization (WHO) Everybody’s Business: Strengthening Health Systems to Improve Health Outcomes—WHO’s Framework for Action. WHO; Geneva, Switzerland: 2007.

[3] Kruk M.E., Myers M., Varpilah S.T., Dahn B.T. What is a resilient health system? Lessons from Ebola. Lancet. 2015;385:1910–1912. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60755-3. - DOI - PubMed

[4] Kruk M.E., Myers M., Varpilah S.T., Dahn B.T. What is a resilient health system? Lessons from Ebola. Lancet. 2015;385:1910–1912. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60755-3. - DOI - PubMed

[5] Heymann D.L., Chen L., Takemi K., Fidler D.P., Tappero J.W., Thomas M.J., Kenyon T.A., Frieden T.R., Yach D., Nishtar S., et al. Global health security: The wider lessons from the west African Ebola virus disease epidemic. Lancet. 2015;385:1884–1901. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60858-3. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[6] Heymann D.L., Chen L., Takemi K., Fidler D.P., Tappero J.W., Thomas M.J., Kenyon T.A., Frieden T.R., Yach D., Nishtar S., et al. Global health security: The wider lessons from the west African Ebola virus disease epidemic. Lancet. 2015;385:1884–1901. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60858-3. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[7] Bong C.-L., Brasher C., Chikumba E., McDougall R., Mellin-Olsen J., Enright A. The COVID-19 Pandemic: Effects on Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Anesthesia Analg. 2020;131:86–92. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000004846. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[8] Bong C.-L., Brasher C., Chikumba E., McDougall R., Mellin-Olsen J., Enright A. The COVID-19 Pandemic: Effects on Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Anesthesia Analg. 2020;131:86–92. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000004846. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[9] Ahmed T., Rahman A.E., Amole T.G., Galadanci H., Matjila M., Soma-Pillay P., Gillespie B.M., El Arifeen S., Anumba D.O.C. The effect of COVID-19 on maternal newborn and child health (MNCH) services in Bangladesh, Nigeria and South Africa: Call for a contextualised pandemic response in LMICs. Int. J. Equity Health. 2021;20:77. doi: 10.1186/s12939-021-01414-5. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[10] Ahmed T., Rahman A.E., Amole T.G., Galadanci H., Matjila M., Soma-Pillay P., Gillespie B.M., El Arifeen S., Anumba D.O.C. The effect of COVID-19 on maternal newborn and child health (MNCH) services in Bangladesh, Nigeria and South Africa: Call for a contextualised pandemic response in LMICs. Int. J. Equity Health. 2021;20:77. doi: 10.1186/s12939-021-01414-5. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

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A Review of COVID-19 Response Challenges in Ethiopia

Affiliations

A Review of COVID-19 Response Challenges in Ethiopia

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

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