Utilization of adolescent health services during the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence on impact and adaptations from a rapid assessment survey in the Philippines.

BACKGROUND: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many challenges in adolescent health have been exacerbated including increased cases of early marriages, domestic violence, higher rates of anxiety and depression, and reduced access to sexual and reproductive health services for adolescents. This study examines the impacts of the pandemic on adolescent health services utilization and potential adaptations in the Philippines. METHODS: The data used in this study was from a rapid telephone assessment survey of 148 adolescent-friendly health facilities (rural health units) in the Philippines. We employed a mixed-methods research approach comprising both quantitative and qualitative analyses in three phases. First, we conducted a descriptive analysis of the status of adolescent healthcare access and utilization during COVID-19. Next, we examined using multivariate ordered logistic regressions how staff availability and adolescent health (AH) service provision modalities influenced AH service utilization in terms of the average number of adolescents served per week during compared to before the pandemic. We also conducted a complementing qualitative analysis of the challenges and corresponding adaptive solutions to ensuring continuity of AH services in facilities. RESULTS: We find that two months into the pandemic, 79% of adolescent-friendly trained staff were reporting for duty and 64% of facilities reported no staff disruptions. However, only 13% of facilities were serving the same number of adolescents or greater than before COVID-19. The use of more modalities for AH service provision (including telehealth) by facilities was significantly associated with increased likelihood to report serving the same number of adolescent or greater than before COVID-19 compared to those who used only one modality. CONCLUSION: Investments in multiple modalities of care provision, such as telehealth could improve AH services utilization and help sustain connection with adolescents during shocks, including future outbreaks or other stressors that limit physical access to health facilities.

Reported health and social consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on vulnerable populations and implemented solutions in six West African countries: A media content analysis.

Coronavirus has spread worldwide with over 140 million cases and resulting in more than 3 million deaths between November 2019 to April 2021, threatening the socio-economic and psychosocial stability of many families and communities. There has been limited research to understand the consequences of COVID-19 on vulnerable populations in West Africa, and whether such consequences differ by countries' previous experience with Ebola. Using a media analysis of leading online news sources, this study identified the populations particularly vulnerable to the threats of the COVID-19 pandemic, described the consequences of COVID-19 experienced by these populations, and reported on the solutions to address them. All articles from the selected news sources published between January 1 and June 30, 2020 on 6 West African countries were imported into Dedoose. A total of 4,388 news articles were coded for excerpts on vulnerable populations, only 285 excerpts of which mentioned the existing effects of COVID-19 on vulnerable populations or implemented solutions. News articles from countries with past experience with Ebola were more likely to mention the pandemic's effects on vulnerable populations, especially on incarcerated people. Vulnerable groups were reported to have experienced a range of effects including economic disruptions, heightened domestic and sexual abuse, arbitrary arrests, health care inaccessibility, and educational challenges throughout the pandemic. With implications for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) for 2030 in West Africa, these countries should consider and focus more strategic efforts on vulnerable populations to overcome their fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and to achieve the SDG for 2030.