Reviewing essential public health functions in the Eastern Mediterranean Region post COVID-19 pandemic: a foundation for system resilience

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in many health systems worldwide with profound implications for health and society. The public health challenges experienced during the pandemic have highlighted the importance of resilient health systems, that can adapt and transform to meet the population’s evolving health needs. Essential public health functions (EPHFs) offer a holistic, integrated and sustainable approach to public health by contributing to achieving several health priorities and goals. In recent years, there has been a focused effort to conceptualise and define the EPHFs. In this paper, we describe the collaborative approach undertaken by the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) and UK Health Security Agency and present the findings and results of the revised EPHFs, in view of lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic and the current priorities for countries across the EMR. This included conducting a desktop review, a gap and bottleneck analysis and stakeholder consultation to arrive at the revised EPHF model including four enablers and nine core functions, including a new function: public health services. The EPHFs will offer countries a complementary and synergistic approach to strengthen health systems and public health capacities and contribute to the region’s ability to effectively respond to future health challenges and emergencies. By focusing on the EPHFs, countries can work towards ensuring health security as an integral goal for the health system besides universal health coverage, thus strengthening and building more resilient and equitable health systems.

Disparities and Outcomes in the First and Second Year of the Pandemic on Events of Acute Myocardial Infarction in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients

“…Since the initial outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in late December 2019, more than 703 million people have been infected with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID- 19), which has led to an estimated 6.9 million deaths [1,2]. The rapid impact of COVID-19 on millions of individuals prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare it a pandemic in March 2020 [3].…”