Plan de respuesta a emergencias de salud y desastres. Instrucciones para su elaboración y monitoreo

Este manual de instrucciones tiene como finalidad apoyar a los países y organismos en la formulación o actualización de sus planes de respuesta (o de operaciones de emergencias) en el marco de respuesta multiamenaza. Está dirigido a las autoridades y al personal técnico que participa en las actividades de planificación, preparación, disposición operativa y organización para la respuesta a emergencias de salud y desastres. En él se describen las características principales de los planes de respuesta y se facilita una lista de verificación.

Action Plan for Implementation of Recommendations from the Evaluation of PAHO's Response to COVID-19. IREP-C19

An external team evaluated PAHO’s response to COVID-19 to provide an independent assessment of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau’s (PASB) performance regarding preparedness for and response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The evaluations’ final report culminates with eight recommendations for actions to future response to health emergencies. The final report of EPRC culminates with eight evidence-based recommendations of actions to strengthen future pandemic responses, while building a resilient recovery in the Region. The recommendations by the external team focus on PAHO’s governance and management, on specialized regional mechanisms, diversified funding models, and use of new technologies, among others.

Classificação e padrões mínimos para equipes médicas de emergência

O objetivo deste manual é fornecer uma descrição clara dos princípios, padrões e normas que as equipes médicas de emergência (EMTs) devem cumprir para oferecer um atendimento de qualidade aos pacientes. Ele também pretende ser um guia prático e informativo para os Estados Membros, Ministérios da Saúde, técnicos nacionais e internacionais e outras partes interessadas importantes que desejam desenvolver essa capacidade e entender melhor os requisitos. Ele se baseia no conhecimento, na experiência e nas lições aprendidas de indivíduos e da rede de EMTs, e é complementado por informações e documentos de orientação técnica disponíveis na rede de conhecimento EMT. Esta edição da Classificação e padrões mínimos para equipes médicas de emergência amplia esses esforços, incorporando mais áreas para expansão da tipologia, das capacidades e das competências das EMT e refinando os princípios norteadores e os padrões fundamentais, além de adotar uma melhor estruturação de todos os padrões técnicos de cuidados clínicos e suporte operacional esperados das EMT. Além disso, este documento aproveita conhecimentos, experiências e lições aprendidas de indivíduos e da rede EMT.

National and subnational governance and decision-making processes during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria: an empirical analysis.

Governance of the COVID-19 pandemic required decision-makers to make and implement decisions amidst uncertainty, public pressure and time constraints. However, few studies have attempted to assess these decision-making processes empirically during health emergencies. Thus, we aimed to understand governance, defined as the process of decision-making and implementation of decisions, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. We conducted key informant interviews and focus group discussions with national and subnational government officials, civil society organisation (CSO) members, development partners and academic experts. Our study identified several themes on governance and decision-making processes. First, Nigeria established high-level decision-making structures at the federal and state levels, providing clear and integrated multisectoral decision-making mechanism. However, due to the emergence of conflicts between government levels, there is a need to strengthen intergovernmental arrangements. Second, while decision-makers relied on input from academic experts and CSOs, additional efforts are required to engage such stakeholders in decision-making processes, especially during the early stages of health emergencies. Third, Nigeria's previous experiences responding to disease outbreaks aided the overall response, as many capacities and coordination mechanisms for cohesive action were present. Fourth, while decision-makers took a holistic view of scientific, social and economic factors for decision-making, this process was also adaptive to account for rapidly evolving information. Lastly, more efforts are needed to ensure decisions are inclusive, equitable and transparent, and improve overall public trust in governance processes. This study provides insights and identifies opportunities to enhance governance and decision-making processes in health emergency responses, aiding future pandemic preparedness efforts.

Decision Support Frameworks in Public Health Emergencies: A Systematic Review of Dynamic Models in Complex Contexts.

Public health emergencies are extraordinary events of disease spread, with health, economic, and social consequences, which require coordinated actions by governments and society. This work aims to analyze scopes, application possibilities, challenges, and gaps of decision support frameworks in PHE management, using the components of the Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management Framework (H-EDRM) and the Preparedness, Prevention, Response and Recovery Model (PPRR Model), providing guidelines for the development of new models. A systematic literature review was carried out using the Web of Science, Scopus, and Pubmed knowledge databases on studies published between 2016 and 2023, and thirty-six articles were selected. The outcomes show a concentration of frameworks on short-term emergency response operations, with a limited emphasis on the political and strategic components that drive actors and responsibilities. Management prioritizes monitoring, evaluation, and information management frameworks. However, the models need to overcome the challenges of multisectoral and interdisciplinary action, different levels of decisions and actors, data sharing, and development of common platforms of evidence for decisions fitted to the various emergencies.

Emergency Department Pediatric Readiness and Disparities in Mortality Based on Race and Ethnicity.

Importance: Presentation to emergency departments (EDs) with high levels of pediatric readiness is associated with improved pediatric survival. However, it is unclear whether children of all races and ethnicities benefit equitably from increased levels of such readiness. Objective: To evaluate the association of ED pediatric readiness with in-hospital mortality among children of different races and ethnicities with traumatic injuries or acute medical emergencies. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study of children requiring emergency care in 586 EDs across 11 states was conducted from January 1, 2012, through December 31, 2017. Eligible participants included children younger than 18 years who were hospitalized for an acute medical emergency or traumatic injury. Data analysis was conducted between November 2022 and April 2023. Exposure: Hospitalization for acute medical emergency or traumatic injury. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. ED pediatric readiness was measured through the weighted Pediatric Readiness Score (wPRS) from the 2013 National Pediatric Readiness Project assessment and categorized by quartile. Multivariable, hierarchical, mixed-effects logistic regression was used to evaluate the association of race and ethnicity with in-hospital mortality. Results: The cohort included 633 536 children (median [IQR] age 4 [0-12] years]). There were 557 537 children (98 504 Black [17.7%], 167 838 Hispanic [30.1%], 311 157 White [55.8%], and 147 876 children of other races or ethnicities [26.5%]) who were hospitalized for acute medical emergencies, of whom 5158 (0.9%) died; 75 999 children (12 727 Black [16.7%], 21 604 Hispanic [28.4%], 44 203 White [58.2%]; and 21 609 of other races and ethnicities [27.7%]) were hospitalized for traumatic injuries, of whom 1339 (1.8%) died. Adjusted mortality of Black children with acute medical emergencies was significantly greater than that of Hispanic children, White children, and of children of other races and ethnicities (odds ratio [OR], 1.69; 95% CI, 1.59-1.79) across all quartile levels of ED pediatric readiness; but there were no racial or ethnic disparities in mortality when comparing Black children with traumatic injuries with Hispanic children, White children, and children of other races and ethnicities with traumatic injuries (OR 1.01; 95% CI, 0.89-1.15). When compared with hospitals in the lowest quartile of ED pediatric readiness, children who were treated at hospitals in the highest quartile had significantly lower mortality in both the acute medical emergency cohort (OR 0.24; 95% CI, 0.16-0.36) and traumatic injury cohort (OR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.25-0.61). The greatest survival advantage associated with high pediatric readiness was experienced for Black children in the acute medical emergency cohort. Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, racial and ethnic disparities in mortality existed among children treated for acute medical emergencies but not traumatic injuries. Increased ED pediatric readiness was associated with reduced disparities; it was estimated that increasing the ED pediatric readiness levels of hospitals in the 3 lowest quartiles would result in an estimated 3-fold reduction in disparity for pediatric mortality. However, increased pediatric readiness did not eliminate disparities, indicating that organizations and initiatives dedicated to increasing ED pediatric readiness should consider formal integration of health equity into efforts to improve pediatric emergency care.

Strategies for Strengthening the Resilience of Public Health Systems for Pandemics, Disasters, and Other Emergencies.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify and prioritize strategies for strengthening public health system resilience for pandemics, disasters, and other emergencies using a scorecard approach. METHODS: The United Nations Public Health System Resilience Scorecard (Scorecard) was applied across 5 workshops in Slovenia, Turkey, and the United States of America. The workshops focused on participants reviewing and discussing 23 questions/indicators. A Likert type scale was used for scoring with zero being the lowest and 5 the highest. The workshop scores were analyzed and discussed by participants to prioritize areas of need and develop resilience strategies. Data from all workshops were aggregated, analyzed, and interpreted to develop priorities representative of participating locations. RESULTS: Eight themes emerged representing the need for better integration of public health and disaster management systems. These include: assessing community disease burden; embedding long-term recovery groups in emergency systems; exploring mental health care needs; examining ecosystem risks; evaluating reserve funds; identifying what crisis communication strategies worked well; providing non-medical services; and reviewing resilience of existing facilities, alternate care sites, and institutions. CONCLUSIONS: The Scorecard is an effective tool for establishing baseline resilience and prioritizing actions. The strategies identified reflect areas in most need for investment to improve public health system resilience.

Medical emergencies at sea: an analysis of ambulance-supported and autonomously performed operations by lifeboat crews.

BACKGROUND: Very little data is available about the involvement of lifeboat crews in medical emergencies at sea. The aim of this study is to analyze the medical operations at sea performed by the Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Institution (KNRM). METHODS: This is a retrospective descriptive analysis of all medical operations at sea performed by the KNRM between January 2017 and January 2020. The operations were divided in three groups: with ambulance crew aboard the lifeboat, ambulance crew on land waiting for the arrival of the lifeboat, and autonomous operations (without ambulance crew involvement). The main outcome measures were circumstances, encountered medical problems, follow-up and crew departure time. RESULTS: The KNRM performed 282 medical operations, involving 361 persons. Operations with ambulance crew aboard the lifeboat (n = 39; 42 persons) consisted mainly of persons with serious trauma or injuries; 32 persons (76.2%) were transported to a hospital. Operations with ambulance crew on land (n = 153; 188 persons) mainly consisted of situations where time was essential, such as persons who were still in the water, with risk of drowning (n = 45, 23.9%), on-going resuscitations (n = 9, 4.8%) or suicide attempts (n = 7, 3.7%). 101 persons (53,7%) were transported to a hospital. All persons involved in the autonomous operations (n = 90; 131 persons) had minor injuries. 38 persons (29%) needed additional medical care, mainly for (suspected) fractures or stitches. In 115 (40.8%) of all operations lifeboat crews did not know that there was a medical problem at the time of departure. Crew departure time in operations with ambulance crew aboard the lifeboat (13.7 min, min. 0, max. 25, SD 5.74 min.) was significantly longer than in operations with ambulance crew on land (7.7 min, min. 0, max 21, SD 4.82 min., p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study provides new information about the large variety of medical emergencies at sea and the way that lifeboat and ambulance crews are involved. Crew departure time in operations with ambulance crew aboard the lifeboat was significantly longer than in operations with ambulance crew on land. This study may provide useful indications for improvement of future medical operations at sea, such as triage, because in 40.8% of operations, it was not known at the time of departure that there was a medical problem.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of ACLS Instructor Certification Training for Medical Students to Improve Knowledge in Clinical Practice as Residents With the Use of an Assurance Index-Based Assessment: A Case Control Study.

BACKGROUND: In the United States, 475,000 Americans die from a cardiac arrest annually. This demands providers to be competent in the management of cardiovascular emergencies. Despite the need, there is a lack of research regarding how to better provide training for medical students to address cardiopulmonary emergencies. We hypothesize that participating in the Medical Students as ACLS Instructors program will improve students' emergency management and clinical teaching competencies. METHODS: The University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine (USD SSOM) has developed and implemented an ACLS Instructor (ACLS-I) course for medical students. The ACLS-I course can accommodate up to 15 ACLS-certified MS3 students in good academic standing. The first 11 student-instructors from University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine (USD SSOM) class of 2023 were admitted to the program in 2021 with an additional 5 student- instructors from USD SSOM class of 2024 added in 2022. After obtaining instructor status, the student-instructors have been involved in teaching ACLS classes. Participants' knowledge, skills, and confidence will be assessed using an assurance index based ACLS assessment during the end of their 4th year of medical school. An added component in the quiz will assess the individual's comfortability in teaching their peers in clinical emergencies. In our assessment of the participants' knowledge, skills, and confidence, the control group will be USD SSOM students. Inclusion criteria for the control group include current student status at USD SSOM and ACLS provider certification. Exclusion criteria includes current or prior ACLS instructor certification. RESULTS: In July 2021, 11 students from the class of 2023 were admitted to the ACLS Instructor program and comprised a research group. Prior to admission, all 75 students of the class were tested on the ACLS knowledge and skills. The results have shown that at baseline, ACLS-I cohort test scores were not statistically significantly different from the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Current data demonstrates that ACLS-I students are a typical representation of the entire cohort prior to admission to the program. During sessions, there have been 10 different subjects covered by the ACLS-I students. 5 more students from the class of 2024 have been enrolled in the ACLS-I course. Through continued participation in sessions, the ACLS-I group is expected to demonstrate higher ACLS and teaching competencies as the curriculum progresses.

Travel Medicine: Special Issues.

Risks during travel depend on travelers' comorbidities and trip activities. Travel on cruise ships, for pilgrimages or large events, or into the wilderness carries unique risks. Asking travelers about what activities they have planned or may do during travel can tailor the subsequent pretravel counseling points and help guide decisions about vaccines and drugs. Some prescriptions (eg, doxycycline for prophylaxis against leptospirosis) depend on the planned activities while abroad. Travelers should be prepared for potential emergencies and should be encouraged to research unique customs and laws in the countries they plan to visit before departure. The US State Department's website has resources that Americans traveling abroad should be familiar with, including information about the laws and customs of the destination country. It is important that travelers investigate the different insurance options or coverages before a trip, in case emergencies arise.

Knowledge of handling medical emergencies among general dental practitioners pan India: a cross-sectional survery.

BACKGROUND: Medical emergency situations in dental clinics have been contemplated to be an issue in most of the countries by reason of dentist's lack of knowledge and preparedness to attend emergency situations in dental offices. The aim of this paper is to observe the knowledge, attitude, and perceived confidence of the general dental practitioners regarding emergency medical care and its practical application. Questionnaire on knowledge assessment was circulated among 500 dentists using printed questionnaire formats and various social media platforms. The questionnaire included details on treating hypertensive patients, cardiopulmonary resuscitation training, accessibility of medical emergency equipments in the dental clinics, prevalence of medical emergency cases in the dental office and the self-assessed competence to handle medical emergency situations in the dental clinics. Data was surveyed and scrutinized using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 17 (SPSS Inc., Chicago IL). Descriptive statistics was tabulated and Chi square tests was applied. FINDINGS: 500 general dental practitioners pan India were involved in the study (294 were females and 207 were males). They were grouped into different age groups (20-30 yrs, 30-40 yrs, 40-50 yrs, 50 and above) and experience (0-5 yrs, 5-10 yrs and more than 10 years). 279 participants did not attend any medical emergency training whereas, 222 participants from all groups attended training program. It was observed that with increased experience in the field, the knowledge, awareness and confidence to treat medical emergency situation in the dental clinics was better. Dentists should update themselves from time-to-time with the latest technologies in the field and need to attend training programs to handle any medical emergency situations in the dental offices. Medical emergencies in a dental clinic can be encountered at any point of time and the clinician should have apt knowledge in handling such situations. Majority of the dentists feel subdued in managing medical situations in dental offices. Training and workshops for handling medical situations in the dental offices should be mandated at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. This will help the dentist to shape one's confidence in managing such situations without apprehension. Availability of proper infrastructure and equipments is recommended in every dental clinics so as to ease the handling of the situation. CONCLUSION: This paper enlightens the need of basic life support training on regular basis among the dentists to improve the competence among them and to improve the confidence in handling such situations.

Protocol for establishing a model for integrated influenza surveillance in Tamil Nadu, India.

The potential for influenza viruses to cause public health emergencies is great. The World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2005 concluded that the world was unprepared to respond to an influenza pandemic. Available surveillance guidelines for pandemic influenza lack the specificity that would enable many countries to establish operational surveillance plans. A well-designed epidemiological and virological surveillance is required to strengthen a country's capacity for seasonal, novel, and pandemic influenza detection and prevention. Here, we describe the protocol to establish a novel mechanism for influenza and SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in the four identified districts of Tamil Nadu, India. This project will be carried out as an implementation research. Each district will identify one medical college and two primary health centres (PHCs) as sentinel sites for collecting severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) and influenza like illness (ILI) related information, respectively. For virological testing, 15 ILI and 10 SARI cases will be sampled and tested for influenza A, influenza B, and SARS-CoV-2 every week. Situation analysis using the WHO situation analysis tool will be done to identify the gaps and needs in the existing surveillance systems. Training for staff involved in disease surveillance will be given periodically. To enhance the reporting of ILI/SARI for sentinel surveillance, trained project staff will collect information from all ILI/SARI patients attending the sentinel sites using pre-tested tools. Using time, place, and person analysis, alerts for abnormal increases in cases will be generated and communicated to health authorities to initiate response activities. Advanced epidemiological analysis will be used to model influenza trends over time. Integrating virological and epidemiological surveillance data with advanced analysis and timely communication can enhance local preparedness for public health emergencies. Good quality surveillance data will facilitate an understanding outbreak severity and disease seasonality. Real-time data will help provide early warning signals for prevention and control of influenza and COVID-19 outbreaks. The implementation strategies found to be effective in this project can be scaled up to other parts of the country for replication and integration.

Doing community-based research during dual public health emergencies (COVID and overdose).

Meaningful engagement and partnerships with people who use drugs are essential to conducting research that is relevant and impactful in supporting desired outcomes of drug consumption as well as reducing drug-related harms of overdose and COVID-19. Community-based participatory research is a key strategy for engaging communities in research that directly affects their lives. While there are growing descriptions of community-based participatory research with people who use drugs and identification of key principles for conducting research, there is a gap in relation to models and frameworks to guide research partnerships with people who use drugs. The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework for research partnerships between people who use drugs and academic researchers, collaboratively developed and implemented as part of an evaluation of a provincial prescribed safer supply initiative introduced during dual public health emergencies (overdose and COVID-19) in British Columbia, Canada. The framework shifts from having researchers choose among multiple models (advisory, partnership and employment) to incorporating multiple roles within an overall community-based participatory research approach. Advocacy by and for drug users was identified as a key role and reason for engaging in research. Overall, both academic researchers and Peer Research Associates benefited within this collaborative partnerships approach. Each offered their expertise, creating opportunities for omni-directional learning and enhancing the research. The shift from fixed models to flexible roles allows for a range of involvement that accommodates varying time, energy and resources. Facilitators of involvement include development of trust and partnering with networks of people who use drugs, equitable pay, a graduate-level research assistant dedicated to ongoing orientation and communication, technical supports as well as fluidity in roles and opportunities. Key challenges included working in geographically dispersed locations, maintaining contact and connection over the course of the project and ensuring ongoing sustainable but flexible employment.

Resultados negativos asociados a la medicación y reacciones adversas a medicamentos en servicio de urgencias. Estudio exploratorio de vida real / Negative outcomes associated with medication and adverse drug reactions in the emergency department. Real-life exploratory study

Introducción. El objetivo del estudio es determinar la prevalencia de los resultados negativos asociados a la medicación (RNM) y reacciones adversas a medicamentos (RAM) que tienen los pacientes que acuden al servicio de urgencias (SU) de un centro de salud. Método. Estudio observacional exploratorio, de corte transversal, en pacientes con RNM que consultan en un servicio de urgencias. La información, acorde con las variables de interés, se recolectó con un instrumento diseñado y evaluado para ello. Se aplicó un modelo de regresión logística multivariante sobre los RNM encontrados, para determinar las variables más importantes que predisponen a la aparición de RNM. Además, se determinó la evitabilidad de RNM (criterio de Baena et al.), la gravedad de RNM (clasificación de Schneider) y la causalidad de RAM (algoritmo de Naranjo). Resultados. Un total de 158 pacientes fueron incluidos en el estudio. La prevalencia de visitas al SU motivados por RNM fue 35,0 % (55 pacientes) y de RAM fue de 5,1 % (8 pacientes). El 88,0 % de los RNM se consideraron evitables y el 74,0 % fueron de gravedad leve. Por otra parte, el 37,5 % (n=3) de RAM fueron clasificadas como evitables y el 50,0 % como probables. El modelo logístico multivariado indica una posible asociación entre los RNM con bajos niveles de escolaridad, la utilización de plantas medicinales y el número de enfermedades concomitantes. Conclusiones. La visita de 1 de cada 3 pacientes al servicio de urgencias está asociado a un RNM; mientras que 1 de cada 20 lo está a una RAM. Otros estudios son necesarios (AU)

Introduction. The aim of the study is to determine the prevalence of negative outcomes associated with medication (NOMs) and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) occurring in the emergency department (ED) of a health centre.Method. An exploratory observational, cross-sectional study of patients with NOMs consulting in an ED. According to the variables of interest, the information was collected with an instrument designed and evaluated for this pur-pose.A multivariate logistic regression model was applied to the NOMs and found the most important variables predis-posing to the appearance of NOM. In addition, the avoid ability of NOM (Baena et al. criteria), the severity of NOM (Schneider classification) and the causality of ADR (Naranjo algorithm) were shown.Results. A total of 158 patients were included in the study. The prevalence of visits to the ED due to NOM was 35.0 % (55 patients) and ADR was 5.1 % (8 patients). Overall, 88.0 % of the ADRs were considered avoidable and 74.0 % were of mild severity. On the other hand, 37.5 % (n=3) of suspected ADR were classified as avoidable and 50.0 % as probable. The multivariate logistic model indicates a possible association between NOMs with lower levels of schooling, the use of medicinal plants and the number of diseases.Conclusions. The visit of 1 in 3 patients to the emergency department is associated with a NOM, while 1 in 20 is associated with an ADR. Further studies are needed. (AU)

Clasificación y estándares mínimos para los equipos médicos de emergencia

El objetivo de este manual es ofrecer una descripción clara de los principios y normas y normas que deben cumplir los equipos médicos de emergencia (EMT) para prestar una asistencia de calidad a los pacientes. También pretende ser una guía práctica e informativa para los Estados miembros, ministerios de sanidad, técnicos nacionales e internacionales y otras partes interesadas clave que deseen crear dicha capacidad y comprender mejor los requisitos. Además, se basa en los conocimientos, la experiencia y las lecciones aprendidas de particulares y de la red de EMTs, y se complementa con la información y los documentos de orientación técnica disponibles en la red de conocimientos de la iniciativa EMT.

The Management of Children and Youth With Pediatric Mental and Behavioral Health Emergencies.

Mental and behavioral health (MBH) emergencies in children and youth continue to increasingly affect not only the emergency department (ED), but the entire spectrum of emergency medical services for children, from prehospital services to the community. Inadequate community and institutional infrastructure to care for children and youth with MBH conditions makes the ED an essential part of the health care safety net for these patients. As a result, an increasing number of children and youth are referred to the ED for evaluation of a broad spectrum of MBH emergencies, from depression and suicidality to disruptive and aggressive behavior. However, challenges in providing optimal care to these patients include lack of personnel, capacity, and infrastructure, challenges with timely access to a mental health professional, the nature of a busy ED environment, and paucity of outpatient post-ED discharge resources. These factors contribute to prolonged ED stays and boarding, which negatively affects patient care and ED operations. Strategies to improve care for MBH emergencies, including systems level coordination of care, is therefore essential. The goal of this policy statement and its companion technical report is to highlight strategies, resources, and recommendations for improving emergency care delivery for pediatric MBH.

Impacts of Covid-19 on mental health service provision in the Western Cape, South Africa: The MASC study.

In the context of an already large treatment gap in South Africa, this study aimed to examine how Covid-19 and the related lockdown measures affected the availability, accessibility, quality, and continuity of mental health services in the Western Cape province in South Africa. A mixed-methods design was employed, using narrative surveys, quantitative surveys, and qualitative semi-structured interviews, with 17 public mental health providers, and secondary data from the District Health Information System. We analysed and combined the data using descriptive statistics, template analysis and methodological triangulation. Results showed that Covid-19 and the lockdowns had negative impacts on mental health service provision at all levels of care, such as reduced access to services, increased stigma and discrimination, disrupted medication supply, increased workload and stress for providers, and the closure of psychosocial and therapeutic services. Innovations used by providers to mitigate these impacts included telehealth, online training, peer support groups, and community outreach. The study concludes that Covid-19 and the lockdowns exposed and exacerbated the existing gaps and challenges in mental health service provision in South Africa. Key recommendations for policy formation and response to future pandemics in the public mental health sector include: classifying psychological treatments as essential services, establishing an intersectoral mental health emergency response plan, involving mental health care users in the development of pandemic responses, creating policies for managing health emergencies in psychiatric facilities, and increasing resources for the mental health sector in South Africa. These recommendations are relevant for South Africa and other LMICs in ensuring adequate mental health care during public health emergencies.

Mental health of health professionals and their perspectives on mental health services in a conflict-affected setting: a qualitative study in health centres in the Gaza Strip during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: To explore how primary care health professionals perceive their own mental health in a conflict-affected setting during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic and to explore their perspectives on mental health services. METHODS: The Gaza Strip faces a chronic humanitarian crisis and is suffering from the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic; United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) health centres were used to recruit participants for this study. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 29 health professionals in UNRWA health centres who were sampled using maximum variation sampling. Transcripts were translated, double checked and analysed via thematic analysis. RESULTS: From the analysis, a thematic map was developed showing how health professionals perceive their mental health impacts. This included difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the socioeconomic processes stemming from the on-going conflict.Another thematic map was developed showing the perceived strengths and challenges of the health services. The strengths included positive impact of the services to the service users and health professionals. In terms of challenges, health professionals identified socioeconomic processes and aspects of remote service provision during COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the findings, we suggest that an improved signposting mechanism should be developed to address many of the challenges that emergencies bring about; in particular, this could support the health professionals' mental health, as well as improve the response to patients' socioeconomic challenges. We further suggest recommendations for improving mental health services when delivered remotely to increase their resiliency during various emergencies.