Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) technical guidance: Maintaining Essential Health Services and Systems
To view all of WHO’s country and technical guidance on COVID-19 please visit our publications hub
Community-based health care, including outreach and campaigns, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic
Community-based health care is an essential part of primary care at all times; in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the distinct capacity of trusted community members for social engagement and delivering care where it is needed is ever more critical. This joint WHO, UNICEF and IFRC guidance addresses the role of community-based health care in the pandemic context. It includes practical recommendations for decision makers to help keep communities and health workers safe, to sustain essential services at the community level, and to ensure an effective response to COVID-19. Using this comprehensive and coordinated approach will help countries strengthen the resilience of community-based health services throughout the pandemic, into early recovery and beyond.
- Access the publication (Uploaded 06 May 2020)
COVID-19: Operational guidance for maintaining essential health services during an outbreak
When health systems are overwhelmed, both direct mortality from an outbreak and indirect mortality from vaccine-preventable and treatable conditions increase dramatically. Countries will need to make difficult decisions to balance the demands of responding directly to COVID-19, while simultaneously engaging in strategic planning and coordinated action to maintain essential health service delivery, mitigating the risk of system collapse. This document expands on the content of the Operational planning guidelines to support country preparedness and response, and provides guidance on a set of targeted immediate actions that countries should consider at national, regional, and local level to reorganize and maintain access to high-quality essential health services for all.
- Access the publicationRecommendations to Member States to improve hand hygiene practices to help prevent the transmission of the COVID-19 virus
WHO recommends member states provide universal access to public hand hygiene stations and making their use obligatory on entering and leaving any public or private commercial building and any public transport facility. It is also recommended that healthcare facilities improve access to and practice of hand hygiene.
WHO SAVES LIVES: Clean your hands in the
context of COVID-19
Hand Hygiene is one of the most effective
actions to reduce the spread of pathogens and prevent infections, including the
COVID-19 virus. This document promotes the WHO global hand hygiene campaign SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands in the
context of other hand hygiene initiatives launched by WHO for COVID-19, and
provides rapid technical guidance.
Guiding principles for immunization activities during the COVID-19 pandemic
Immunization is an essential health service which may be affected by the current COVID-19 pandemic. Disruption of immunization services, even for brief periods, will result in increased numbers of susceptible individuals and raise the likelihood of outbreak-prone vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) such as measles. Today WHO issues guidance on immunization services during the COVID-19 pandemic. This document provides guiding principles and considerations to support countries in their decision-making regarding provision of immunization services during the COVID-19 pandemic and is reviewed and endorsed by the WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization. The guidance includes advice on the importance of maintaining safe immunization services. If immunization services are disrupted, it is important to plan for urgent catch-up vaccination of missed children when physical distancing measures are lifted. The guidance further recommends temporary suspension of preventive mass vaccination campaigns and provides advice on conducting careful risk assessment before implementing outbreak response vaccination, with attention to appropriate protective measures to avoid transmission of the COVID-19 virus.
Frequently Asked Questions: Immunization in the context of COVID-19 pandemic
This document provides technical answers to frequently asked questions on immunization services, vaccine-preventable disease surveillance, cold chain and supplies, among others. While committing to sustaining immunization systems, countries should use approaches that respect the principle of do-no-harm and limit transmission of COVID-19 while providing immunization activities.