Abstract
BackgroundThis study aims to assess the COVID-19 response preparedness of the Mozambican health system by 1) determining the location of oxygen-ready public health facilities, 2) estimating the oxygen treatment capacity, and 3) determining the population coverage of oxygen-ready health facilities in Mozambique.MethodsThis analysis utilizes information on the availability of oxygen sources and delivery apparatuses to determine if a health facility is ready to deliver oxygen therapy to patients in need, and estimates how many patients can be treated with continuous oxygen flow for a 7-day period based on the available oxygen equipment at health facilities. Using GIS mapping software, the study team modeled varying travel times to oxygen-ready facilities to estimate the proportion of the population with access to care.Results0.4% of all health facilities in Mozambique are prepared to deliver oxygen therapy to patients, for a cumulative total of 283.9 to 406.0 patients-weeks given the existing national capacity, under varying assumptions including ability to divert oxygen from a single source to multiple patients. 35% of the population in Mozambique has adequate access within one-hour driving time of an oxygen-ready health facility. This varies widely by region; 89.1% of the population of Maputo City was captured by the one-hour driving time network, as compared ot 4.4% of the population of Niassa province.ConclusionsThe Mozambican health system faces the dual challenges of under-resourced health facilities and low geographic accessibility to healthcare as it prepares to confront the COVID-19 pandemic. This analysis also illustrates the disparity between provinces in preparedness to deliver oxygen therapy to patient, with Cabo Delgado and Nampula being particularly under-resourced.
Highlights
This study aims to assess the COVID-19 response preparedness of the Mozambican health system by 1) determining the location of oxygen-ready public health facilities, 2) estimating the oxygen treatment capacity, and 3) determining the population coverage of oxygen-ready health facilities in Mozambique
The remaining 7 facilities were operated at the quarterary level including the central hospitals in the major cities of Maputo, Beira, Nampula, and Quelimane, and 3 specialized hospitals
The majority of the facilities surveyed were in Nampula and Zambezia, the two most populous provinces
Summary
This study aims to assess the COVID-19 response preparedness of the Mozambican health system by 1) determining the location of oxygen-ready public health facilities, 2) estimating the oxygen treatment capacity, and 3) determining the population coverage of oxygen-ready health facilities in Mozambique. In addition to mandating school closures, the order imposed strict limitations on workplaces, markets, public transportation, religious services, and leisure activities [1]. March 2020 models from the Imperial College of London, widely used by national governments in informing their COVID-19 responses, predicted devastation if the Mozambican government failed to act. The worst-case scenario predicts 65,000 deaths and 190,000 hospitalizations. Assuming a successful government response and suppression of social contacts by 75%, the model predicts 9000 total deaths and peak hospital demand of 19,000 [2]
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