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HLH Newsletter
September - October 2022
Welcome to the HLH Newsletter!
The HLH is a WHO knowledge platform to share cross-country learning on maintaining essential health services during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the post-pandemic recovery. Learn more about us here.
The HLH Newsletter is a place to share up-to-date information on key knowledge products from WHO and the Network of Networks. If you have any queries or wish to contribute, please email us: hlh@who.int.
HLH update:
New Action Briefs - coming soon
Delivering palliative care services amidst the COVID-19 pandemic at a rural hospice in Uganda
New on the Knowledge Hub:
The #StaffCare Guide: How to Support & Protect Health Care Workers
During the global coronavirus pandemic, health care workforce endured a type and degree of severe, sustained workplace pressure not seen before. Amidst this pressure, many leaders learned quickly, communicated effectively, and found ways to support staff experiencing anxiety, stress and intense demands. The purpose of this guide is to strengthen the capability of the health care system’s leaders and managers to actively support and protect those who work in it.
This document lays out key programmatic considerations essential for moving from mass campaigns for COVID-19 vaccination to integrating COVID-19 vaccination into immunization programmes, PHC and other relevant health services for 2022 and beyond.
This brief is a valuable resource for policy-makers seeking to understand the extent of disruption to health services caused by COVID-19, the reasons behind this, and what different countries are doing in response. Its aim is to provide options to reduce service backlogs for those who are addressing this challenge in their national contexts.
Other WHO news:
Global pulse survey on continuity of essential health services
WHO has recently launched the 4th round of the Global pulse survey on continuity of essential health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. This survey follows WHO’s previous 2020-2021 pulse surveys to continue to track the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic over time in terms of essential health service disruptions and recovery, the main health system bottlenecks countries are facing, and how countries are responding to maintain service delivery. Data collection for the 4th round will close in December 2022, and preliminary results are expected in February 2023. Findings from previous rounds can be viewed through the WHO HLH EHS Dashboards page.
Technical consultation to advance adolescent-responsive health systems
There is increasing interest in advancing an adolescent-responsive health systems approach as part of accelerating universal health coverage. To accelerate progress, the World Health Organization’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research/ UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Human Reproduction Programme collaborated with USAID's MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership project to host a technical consultation on 11-12 October 2022.
Approximately 45 people from 20 countries joined the virtual consultation. The consultation participants agreed that it would be important for countries to incorporate adolescent friendly health services into health systems. The group also generated recommended areas for further learning and key actions to advance implementation of adolescent-responsive health systems. WHO is supporting countries to document and publish their experience embedding adolescent considerations across their health system building blocks.
HLH partners:
Healthcare Information For All (HIFA)
The HLH-supported HIFA discussion on essential health services and COVID-19 continues and by mid-October has 552 messages from dozens of HIFA members worldwide. Contributors noted disruption in mental health services and particular concerns about the wellbeing of health workers who have experienced long working hours, burnout syndrome and public stigmatization. From November, HIFA will implement a new series of thematic discussions supported by NextGenU.org and the Frank Foundation: Mental health: meeting information needs for substance use disorders. Please check our website for details and to join our forums: www.hifa.org
HIFA shall be counting on the support of individuals, organizations and volunteers. If you can help, contact HIFA Coordinator Neil Pakenham-Walsh: neil@hifa.org
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