The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on frail health systems of low- and middle-income countries: The case of epilepsy in the rural areas of the Bolivian Chaco

Ficha

Título: The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on frail health systems of low- and
middle-income countries: The case of epilepsy in the rural areas of the
Bolivian Chaco
Autoría: Alessandra Nicoletti; Valeria Todaro; Calogero Edoardo Cicero; Loretta Giuliano; Mario Zappia; Francesco Cosmi; Estela Vilte; Alessandro Bartoloni; Elizabeth Blanca Crespo Gómez
Descripción: The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has put some health systems under pressure, especially in low- and middle-income countries. We aimed at evaluating the impact of COVID-19 emergency on the management of people with epilepsy (PWE) living in the rural communities of the Gran Chaco area of the Plurinational State of Bolivia. Materials and methods: We selected a sample of PWE living in the rural communities of the Bolivian Chaco. A standardized questionnaire was developed, consisting of six questions addressing drug availability,
drug discontinuation, personnel responsible for drug retrieval during the lockdown, and the presence of seizures in the two months preceding the interview. Questionnaires were administered by community health workers of the rural health centers in September 2020.
Results: Seventy PWE (38 men, 54.3%; mean age 26.9 ± 16.7) were interviewed. During the lockdown the large majority of them (n = 51, 73.9%) reported an irregular medication intake mainly due to the lack of antiseizure medications in the local health posts, leading to an increase in seizure frequency.
Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has unmasked the frailty of the Bolivian health system, especially for the management of chronic diseases such as epilepsy in the rural communities.
Formato: PDF
Idioma: Inglés
Editor: Epilepsy & Behavior 118 (2021) 107917
Materia: Epilepsy Bolivia COVID-19 Health systems
Fecha de entrega: January 26, 2021
Fecha de aceptación: 2021

Conjuntos de fichas: Ciencias de la Salud

Medios: The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on frail health systems of low- and middle-income countries: The case of epilepsy in the rural areas of the Bolivian Chaco