Health professionals of Central Asia and international experts discuss child and adolescent health during COVID-19

The conference attended by healthcare professionals of Central Asian countries as well as of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Germany, Russian Federation and UK aimed at sharing experiences and discussing the challenges of ensuring adequate health care for children during COVID-19 pandemic in Central Asia.

Health systems in Central Asia, as in many other regions, are being confronted with rapidly increasing demand generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Although current evidence shows that children are not the most affected, they are likely to suffer largely from the indirect impacts of COVID-19 pandemic. Among the first containment measures taken in many countries globally were school closures, closures of childcare facilities and restrictions on social interactions. Some countries mandated a total lock-down.

“The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the world and challenges us to protect and save lives,” said Afshan Khan, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia who opened the conference along with Chary Agamyradov, Deputy Minister of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan and Martin Weber, WHO Regional Child and Adolescent Health Programme Manager. “Central Asia, like other parts of the region, have not been spared. UNICEF has worked and continues to work closely with governments across the sub-region to ensure the availability of critical supplies such as Personal Protective Equipment, oxygen concentrators, and the training of front-line health workers. We are also supporting the resumption of essential services and the development of tools to ensure that information and knowledge is made available for individuals to protect themselves and their families from the disease,” said Ms. Afshan Khan.

Dr. Martin Weber underlined that “health systems need to be prepared if children get sick.” “WHO has published guidelines on standard case management, which will form part of the Conference. A frightening new disease without specific treatment except for oxygen runs the risk to being treated with all sorts of non-evidence-based therapies. Adhering to standard treatment guidelines and using new treatments only in the context of clinical trials is important. WHO is coordinating several of those trials. For children and adults with more severe pneumonia, the availability of oxygen is crucial, and WHO has helped assess the adequacy of the systems,” said Dr.Weber.

During the conference, experts in the field of child and adolescent healthcare discussed global, regional and country experiences in providing adequate health care for children during COVID-19. They, in particular, focused on epidemiology and clinical management of children with COVID-19, continuity of essential services, including for children with chronic diseases, effects of lockdown on children and adolescents and transition back to normal health care services after the pandemic and addressing nutrition aspects in the context of COVID-19 in schools and health facilities.  

***