Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exacerbated health disparities across ethnic and socioeconomic groups. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) - such as hypertension, diabetes, and obstructive lung diseases - are key drivers of this widening gap, because they disproportionately afflict vulnerable populations. Vulnerable populations with non-communicable diseases, in turn, are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 itself - but also at increased risk of poor outcomes from those underlying conditions. Proven strategies for NCD control must be adapted to help vulnerable patients react to these dual threats. We detail six key policy interventions - task shifting, workforce protection, telehealth and mobile services, insurance restructuring and increased funding for NCDs, prescription policies for NCDs and community partnerships - to bridge this care gap. Long-term integration of these care models post-COVID-19 may prevent care shocks during future pandemics, bolstering emerging universal primary care models.
Highlights
The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has worsened access to care, disrupted health services, and diverted human resources to the emergency response worldwide
We propose seven strategies to expressly protect the health of vulnerable populations living with Non-communicable diseases (NCDs)
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the fragility of healthcare systems and existing inequities in access to care and health outcomes for vulnerable populations across the globe
Summary
The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has worsened access to care, disrupted health services, and diverted human resources to the emergency response worldwide. Policy-insurance reimbursement and coverage and increased funding for NCD treatment in LMICs The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of ensuring access to high quality care and the critical role of universal health coverage (UHC) Without additional measures such as changes in insurance reimbursement and coverage to improve access to treatment, limited resources and overwhelmed health systems will prevent countries from prioritizing the control of NCDs during this pandemic. Community partnerships Solving the complex health disparities impacting vulnerable populations requires the collaboration of diverse stakeholders within healthcare, public health, social services, and government These partnerships must leverage community-based participatory research (CBPR) and relationship-centered principles to enhance the innovation, relevance, and effectiveness of interventions, programs, and policies[22]. Such partnerships provide safe spaces for participants to examine how institutional, and interpersonal discrimination might impede their success, and to dismantle the impact of these structural and interpersonal behaviors on vulnerable groups[25]
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