ECHO Factsheet - Health (Last updated 12/01/2021)
Format
What is it?
Health is a core sector of humanitarian assistance, but also a reliable measurement of its impact. The European Commission aims to provide high-quality humanitarian health assistance in fragile contexts, such as emergency medical assistance, outbreak preparedness and response, vaccination, hygiene promotion, and screening for malnutrition. Health is interconnected with other humanitarian sectors, such as water and sanitation, nutrition, and food.
Why is this important?
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), before COVID-19, more than 76% of the world s poorest were estimated to be living in fragile contexts. Violence, conflict and disasters restrict people s access to primary health care. Climate change, population growth, mass migration and microorganisms resistant to treatments are hampering the Universal Health Coverage.
Essential Health Services - A guidance note: How to prioritize and plan essential health services during COVID-19 response in humanitarian settings
Format
Background
Health clusters and partners are facing considerable technical and operational challenges in humanitarian settings to safely deliver COVID-19 response and maintain essential health services. Increased operational challenges such as movement restrictions, diversion of human resources, supplies and funding as well as increased operational costs contribute to the disruption in availability and utilization of essential health services.
Furthermore, fear and mistrust of health care being provided as well as stigma related to COVID-19 has, in many settings, resulted in the decreased utilization of services as affected populations are unwilling to seek care. These disruptions to health services raise concern of the resultant impact COVID-19 may have on excess mortality and morbidity.