"Our interventions are still here to support communities during the pandemic": Resuming mass drug administration for neglected tropical diseases after COVID-19 implementation delays.
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted essential health services, including those provided by national neglected tropical disease (NTD) programs. Most mass drug administration (MDA) programs were postponed for 6-12 months following World Health Organization guidance released in April 2020 to temporarily ha...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2023-06-01
|
| Series: | PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases |
| Online Access: | https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0011368&type=printable |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849330098862292992 |
|---|---|
| author | Tikhala Itaye Sultani Hadley Matendechero Jean Bosco Mbonigaba Fikre Seife Gebretsadik Tuduetso L Molefi Gilbert Baayenda Eugene Ruberanziza Karsor K Kollie January Zilabumba Massitan Dembele Kebede Deribe Elia Muhima Adrien Maria Rebollo Polo Kikundi African NTD Program Managers Community of Practice |
| author_facet | Tikhala Itaye Sultani Hadley Matendechero Jean Bosco Mbonigaba Fikre Seife Gebretsadik Tuduetso L Molefi Gilbert Baayenda Eugene Ruberanziza Karsor K Kollie January Zilabumba Massitan Dembele Kebede Deribe Elia Muhima Adrien Maria Rebollo Polo Kikundi African NTD Program Managers Community of Practice |
| author_sort | Tikhala Itaye |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted essential health services, including those provided by national neglected tropical disease (NTD) programs. Most mass drug administration (MDA) programs were postponed for 6-12 months following World Health Organization guidance released in April 2020 to temporarily halt NTD programs and launch necessary COVID-19 precautions. While NTD-endemic countries have since resumed MDA activities, it is critical to understand implementers' perspectives on the key challenges and opportunities for program relaunch, as these insights are critical for maximizing gains towards disease control and elimination during public health emergencies. Using data from using online surveys and focus group discussions, this mixed-methods study sought perspectives from Ministry of Health NTD Program Managers and implementing partners from non-governmental organizations working in sub-Saharan Africa. Data analysis revealed that findings converged around several main themes: disruptions for MDA programs included resource shortages due to prioritization of pandemic response, challenges adhering to COVID-19 safety protocols, and community hesitancy due to coronavirus transmission fears. Identified solutions for restarting MDA programs focused on adapting intervention delivery and packaging to minimize disease transmission, embracing technology to optimize intervention planning and delivery, and identifying opportunities to promote program integration between pandemic response strategies and NTD campaign delivery. Findings identifies key challenges due to disruptions to NTD program delivery and provide strategic recommendations for endemic countries to build resilient programs that can continue to perform during and beyond global pandemics. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-eef66b4c3519403688528c9ee479fbc7 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1935-2727 1935-2735 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases |
| spelling | doaj-art-eef66b4c3519403688528c9ee479fbc72025-08-20T03:47:05ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases1935-27271935-27352023-06-01176e001136810.1371/journal.pntd.0011368"Our interventions are still here to support communities during the pandemic": Resuming mass drug administration for neglected tropical diseases after COVID-19 implementation delays.Tikhala ItayeSultani Hadley MatendecheroJean Bosco MbonigabaFikre Seife GebretsadikTuduetso L MolefiGilbert BaayendaEugene RuberanzizaKarsor K KollieJanuary ZilabumbaMassitan DembeleKebede DeribeElia Muhima AdrienMaria Rebollo PoloKikundi African NTD Program Managers Community of PracticeThe COVID-19 pandemic disrupted essential health services, including those provided by national neglected tropical disease (NTD) programs. Most mass drug administration (MDA) programs were postponed for 6-12 months following World Health Organization guidance released in April 2020 to temporarily halt NTD programs and launch necessary COVID-19 precautions. While NTD-endemic countries have since resumed MDA activities, it is critical to understand implementers' perspectives on the key challenges and opportunities for program relaunch, as these insights are critical for maximizing gains towards disease control and elimination during public health emergencies. Using data from using online surveys and focus group discussions, this mixed-methods study sought perspectives from Ministry of Health NTD Program Managers and implementing partners from non-governmental organizations working in sub-Saharan Africa. Data analysis revealed that findings converged around several main themes: disruptions for MDA programs included resource shortages due to prioritization of pandemic response, challenges adhering to COVID-19 safety protocols, and community hesitancy due to coronavirus transmission fears. Identified solutions for restarting MDA programs focused on adapting intervention delivery and packaging to minimize disease transmission, embracing technology to optimize intervention planning and delivery, and identifying opportunities to promote program integration between pandemic response strategies and NTD campaign delivery. Findings identifies key challenges due to disruptions to NTD program delivery and provide strategic recommendations for endemic countries to build resilient programs that can continue to perform during and beyond global pandemics.https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0011368&type=printable |
| spellingShingle | Tikhala Itaye Sultani Hadley Matendechero Jean Bosco Mbonigaba Fikre Seife Gebretsadik Tuduetso L Molefi Gilbert Baayenda Eugene Ruberanziza Karsor K Kollie January Zilabumba Massitan Dembele Kebede Deribe Elia Muhima Adrien Maria Rebollo Polo Kikundi African NTD Program Managers Community of Practice "Our interventions are still here to support communities during the pandemic": Resuming mass drug administration for neglected tropical diseases after COVID-19 implementation delays. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases |
| title | "Our interventions are still here to support communities during the pandemic": Resuming mass drug administration for neglected tropical diseases after COVID-19 implementation delays. |
| title_full | "Our interventions are still here to support communities during the pandemic": Resuming mass drug administration for neglected tropical diseases after COVID-19 implementation delays. |
| title_fullStr | "Our interventions are still here to support communities during the pandemic": Resuming mass drug administration for neglected tropical diseases after COVID-19 implementation delays. |
| title_full_unstemmed | "Our interventions are still here to support communities during the pandemic": Resuming mass drug administration for neglected tropical diseases after COVID-19 implementation delays. |
| title_short | "Our interventions are still here to support communities during the pandemic": Resuming mass drug administration for neglected tropical diseases after COVID-19 implementation delays. |
| title_sort | our interventions are still here to support communities during the pandemic resuming mass drug administration for neglected tropical diseases after covid 19 implementation delays |
| url | https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0011368&type=printable |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tikhalaitaye ourinterventionsarestillheretosupportcommunitiesduringthepandemicresumingmassdrugadministrationforneglectedtropicaldiseasesaftercovid19implementationdelays AT sultanihadleymatendechero ourinterventionsarestillheretosupportcommunitiesduringthepandemicresumingmassdrugadministrationforneglectedtropicaldiseasesaftercovid19implementationdelays AT jeanboscombonigaba ourinterventionsarestillheretosupportcommunitiesduringthepandemicresumingmassdrugadministrationforneglectedtropicaldiseasesaftercovid19implementationdelays AT fikreseifegebretsadik ourinterventionsarestillheretosupportcommunitiesduringthepandemicresumingmassdrugadministrationforneglectedtropicaldiseasesaftercovid19implementationdelays AT tuduetsolmolefi ourinterventionsarestillheretosupportcommunitiesduringthepandemicresumingmassdrugadministrationforneglectedtropicaldiseasesaftercovid19implementationdelays AT gilbertbaayenda ourinterventionsarestillheretosupportcommunitiesduringthepandemicresumingmassdrugadministrationforneglectedtropicaldiseasesaftercovid19implementationdelays AT eugeneruberanziza ourinterventionsarestillheretosupportcommunitiesduringthepandemicresumingmassdrugadministrationforneglectedtropicaldiseasesaftercovid19implementationdelays AT karsorkkollie ourinterventionsarestillheretosupportcommunitiesduringthepandemicresumingmassdrugadministrationforneglectedtropicaldiseasesaftercovid19implementationdelays AT januaryzilabumba ourinterventionsarestillheretosupportcommunitiesduringthepandemicresumingmassdrugadministrationforneglectedtropicaldiseasesaftercovid19implementationdelays AT massitandembele ourinterventionsarestillheretosupportcommunitiesduringthepandemicresumingmassdrugadministrationforneglectedtropicaldiseasesaftercovid19implementationdelays AT kebedederibe ourinterventionsarestillheretosupportcommunitiesduringthepandemicresumingmassdrugadministrationforneglectedtropicaldiseasesaftercovid19implementationdelays AT eliamuhimaadrien ourinterventionsarestillheretosupportcommunitiesduringthepandemicresumingmassdrugadministrationforneglectedtropicaldiseasesaftercovid19implementationdelays AT mariarebollopolo ourinterventionsarestillheretosupportcommunitiesduringthepandemicresumingmassdrugadministrationforneglectedtropicaldiseasesaftercovid19implementationdelays AT kikundiafricanntdprogrammanagerscommunityofpractice ourinterventionsarestillheretosupportcommunitiesduringthepandemicresumingmassdrugadministrationforneglectedtropicaldiseasesaftercovid19implementationdelays |