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Global Health System Resilience during Encounters with Stressors - Lessons Learnt from Cancer Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
- Source :
-
Clinical oncology (Royal College of Radiologists (Great Britain)) [Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol)] 2023 Apr; Vol. 35 (4), pp. e289-e300. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Jan 17. - Publication Year :
- 2023
-
Abstract
- Aims: The protracted COVID-19 pandemic has overwhelmed health systems globally, including many aspects of cancer control. This has underscored the multidimensional nature of cancer control, which requires a more comprehensive approach involving taking a wider perspective of health systems. Here, we investigated aspects of health system resilience in maintaining cancer services globally during the COVID-19 pandemic. This will allow for health systems to be resilient to different types of system stressors/shocks in the future, to allow cancer care to be maintained optimally.<br />Materials and Methods: Using the World Health Organization health system framework (capturing aspects of service delivery, health workforce, information, medical products, vaccines and technologies, financing and governance and leadership), we carried out a comparative analysis of the impact of COVID-19 and the synthesis of the findings in responses in cancer care in 10 countries/jurisdictions across four continents comprising a wide diversity of health systems, geographical regions and socioeconomic status (China, Colombia, Egypt, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, India, Singapore, Sri Lanka, UK and Zambia). A combination of literature and document reviews and interviews with experts was used.<br />Results: Our study revealed that: (i) underlying weaknesses of health systems before the pandemic were exacerbated by the pandemic (e.g. economic issues in low- and middle-income countries led to greater shortage of medication and resource constraints compounded by inadequacies of public financing and issues of engagement with stakeholders and leadership/governance); (ii) no universal adaptive strategies were applicable to all the systems, highlighting the need for health systems to design emergency plans based on local context; (iii) despite the many differences between health systems, common issues were identified, such as the lack of contingency plan for pandemics, inadequate financial policies for cancer patients and lack of evidence-based approaches for competing priorities of cancer care/pandemic control.<br />Conclusion: We identified four key points/recommendations to enhance the resilient capacity of cancer care during the COVID-19 pandemic and other system stressors: (i) effective pandemic control approaches in general are essential to maintain the continuity of cancer care during the emergency health crises; (ii) strong health systems (with sufficient cancer care resources, e.g. health workforce, and universal health coverage) are fundamental to maintain quality care; (iii) the ability to develop response strategies and adapt to evolving evidence/circumstances is critical for health system resilience (including introducing systematic, consistent and evidence-based changes, national support and guidance in policy development and implementation); (iv) preparedness and contingency plans for future public health emergencies, engaging the whole of society, to achieve health system resilience for future crises and to transform healthcare delivery beyond the pandemic.<br /> (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1433-2981
- Volume :
- 35
- Issue :
- 4
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Clinical oncology (Royal College of Radiologists (Great Britain))
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 36764875
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clon.2023.01.004