The Covid-19 pandemic had a similar impact on the approach to chronic respiratory diseases in the CPLP countries, but exposed several inequalities, particularly at the socio-economic level and in access to health care, said Tuesday the pulmonologist Margarete Arrais.
The coordinator of the Global Alliance Against Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD) for the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP) was speaking during the online conference “The impact of Covid-19 on Chronic Respiratory Diseases in CPLP countries”, organised by the Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (IHMT).
The pneumologist noted that the decrease in hospital assistance, since the beginning of the pandemic, was noted in all CPLP countries: Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe and East Timor.
In relation to chronic respiratory patients, the pandemic brought a decrease in consultations, exams and emergencies in these countries, Arrais said.
The discrepancies, “which already existed, but the pandemic made them more visible”, were felt in terms of the number of beds, the existence of intensive care units and in the access to telemedicine, but also to all health services, with the limitations in circulation imposed by the confinement worsening the difficulties.
The specialist considers of utmost importance a survey of the “real impact” of covid-19 on chronic respiratory diseases in the CPLP.
The conference on “The impact of Covid-19 on Chronic Respiratory Diseases in CPLP countries” is organised by the IHMT in collaboration with GARD, the CPLP and GARD-Portugal, with the support of the Portuguese Association of Hospital Administrators (APAH).