Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Sep 21;13(3):1957.
doi: 10.4081/jphia.2022.1957. eCollection 2022 Sep 7.

Conflict, community, and COVID-19: response and implications in Ethiopia

Martin Plymoth  1 , Yidnekachew G Mogessie  2 , Israa Mohammed  3 , Dawit Mengesha  4 , Mandy Wang  1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9 , Shuaibu Saidu Musa  6 , Bezawit Kassahun Bekele  7 , Heaven Yeshaneh Tatere  7 , Mohamed Babiker Musa  8 , Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno Iii  9
Affiliations

Conflict, community, and COVID-19: response and implications in Ethiopia

Martin Plymoth et al. J Public Health Afr. .

Abstract

Community transmission of COVID-19 is currently on the rise in Ethiopia, while availability of diagnostic and treatment services remains limited. Impaired access to essential services is affected by the pandemic's strain on the health system, and as a consequence of the country's public health response. The ongoing conflict in the Tigray Region provides another obstacle to accessing and providing care for the local population; and has displaced large numbers of people both within and outside the country. In this commentary we discuss the impact of the conflict on essential services and argue that a coordinated holistic response is essential to mitigate both short and long-term consequences of the conflict, including increased COVID-19 transmission, acute malnutrition, disruption of education services, displacement of people, and food insecurities. We highlight the important role of community engagement in prevention and early detection of these challenges, and the need for comprehensive interventions in the region.

Keywords: COVID19; Ethiopia; Tigray; community; conflict; malnutrition.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Humanitarian Situation Report (Includes Tigray Response). Unicef Ethiopia. 2021; Available from: https://uni.cf/3cOXAE1.
    1. Haider N, Osman AY, Gadzekpo A, Akipede GO, Asogun D, Ansumana R. Lockdown measures in response to COVID-19 in nine sub- Saharan African countries. BMJ Global Health. 2020;5(10). - PMC - PubMed
    1. Shigute Z, Mebratie AD, Alemu G, Bedi A. Containing the spread of COVID-19 in Ethiopia. Journal of Global Health. 2020;10(1):10369–10369. - PMC - PubMed
    1. COVID-19 Situation Report No. 21: November 2020. UNICEF Ethiopia. 2020; Available from: https://uni.cf/3ezr3SY.
    1. How Ethiopia prepared its health workforce for the COVID-19 response 2020. Universal Health Coverage Partnership . 2020; Available from: https://www.uhcpartnership.net/story-ethiopia/.

LinkOut - more resources