Services for Mothers and Newborns During the Ebola Outbreak in Liberia: The Need for Improvement in Emergencies

Conclusion From the DHIS2 data, it is clear that Bong and Margibi Counties in Liberia experienced a large drop in utilization of maternal health care services during what now appears to be the height of the Ebola outbreak. Sadly, these drops correlate temporally with the peaks in infections amongst health workers in Bong and Margibi county health facilities.11 While the decrease could be due to lack of reporting, it is likely a reflection of a real change in usage in the context of disruption of healthcare services. The decline in care-seeking is likely due to both supply and demand factors modified by the outbreak, including the fear of contracting Ebola at health facilities and clinic closures. The outbreak progressed so quickly that access to necessary protective equipment and infection control measures were limited, making it evident to health officials and patients that crowds, particularly in health care settings, were a risk. Healthcare workers were both fearful of contracting the disease from sick community members presenting to their clinics and burdened by additional patient load, and therefore may have provided more limited services. In some cases, services were completely stopped to preserve healthcare worker safety. While this was recognized by the government and international partners, restoring services took months in the face of limited resources and logistical challenges. Based on data from previous humanitarian emergencies and the disruption of maternal heal...
Source: PLOS Currents Outbreaks - Category: Epidemiology Authors: Source Type: research