A regional survey found “significant and persistent disruption” affecting all countries in the region between 2019 and 2021, regardless of the level of investment in their health or the burden of NCDs.
People with these conditions need timely diagnosis, ongoing treatment and access to essential medications, and ongoing monitoring of their condition, said Silvana Luciani, PAHO’s director of noncommunicable diseases.
However, the study shows that many countries have not been able to meet these requirements in the last three years, emphasized the specialist, one of the authors of the study.
While 81 percent of the 35 countries surveyed identified NCD services as part of the basic set of essential health services that needed to be maintained during the pandemic, only 34 percent said they remained operational.
More than 90 percent reported interruptions in the delivery of essential medical services, including cancer screening and the management of diabetes and high blood pressure.
A quarter of those surveyed also reported a lack of diagnostic tools, as well as of drugs and essential technologies for the treatment and management of these conditions.
To mitigate some of the disruption, 67 percent of nations have replaced in-person consultations with telemedicine, and others have implemented home care, triage and prioritized care based on disease severity.
Describing these findings as worrying, Luciani stressed that around 240 million people in America are currently living with a chronic disease, making access to NCD diagnostic and treatment services essential to controlling these conditions and preventing premature death, he said .
PAHO recommends integrating NCDs into universal health care and access and focusing on ensuring affordable, quality care for the prevention and treatment of these diseases as part of primary health care and empowering those living with them to manage their to cope with conditions.
In addition, the Agency points out that NCDs must be taken into account as part of national emergency plans to ensure the continuity of essential services for these diseases, even in the event of emergencies and natural disasters.
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