Investigator(s)
| WHO Technical Officer |
Chatura Rasika Wijesundara National Consultant, Knowledge Management and Monitoring, WHO Sri Lanka Chatura Rasika Wijesundara 
|
| Principal Investigator |
Sumal Nandasena Lead Consultant, First Rate Strategies Pvt Ltd Sumal Nandasena
|
Title(s) and abstract
| Scientific title | Assessment of the impact of COVID-19 and the economic crisis on essential health service delivery, healthcare access, and financial risk protection |
| Public title | Assessment of the impact of COVID-19 and the economic crisis on essential health service delivery, healthcare access, and financial risk protection |
| Background | The Sri Lankan health system has been facing a dual challenge in ensuring the continuity of essential service provision due to COVID-19 and the economic crisis. The impact on the health system due to COVID-19 has fluctuated according to the various phases of the epidemic, with the country experiencing three distinct waves over the past two years. Identification of the extent and specific areas of disruptions and the responses to mitigate challenges and recover is of paramount importance for building back better. Currently this challenge is further compounded by the ongoing economic crisis which has challenged the health system with critical shortages of medicines and supplies. This too has serious and far-reaching consequences leading to disruption of services at all levels of care. Furthermore, both COVID-19 and the economic crisis has had demand side implications as well. There is evidence to indicate that non-COVID health services continue to be impacted even in the “new normal period”, with disruptions to health education and counselling services, increased waiting time to obtain services; high probability of missing important diseases presenting with respiratory symptoms et |
| Objectives | To conduct a comprehensive assessment of the impact of COVID-19 and the economic crisis on essential health service delivery, healthcare access and financial risk protection and provide evidence-based recommendations to the Ministry of Health. The assessment is expected to capture information on service disruption (through an institutional survey) and barriers to access, including financial barriers (through a household survey). The assessment will focus on the impact on men and women separately. |
| Study Methods | Objectives of the assignment will be achieved through ten phases with a comprehensive methodological process. The ten phases of the study are detailed out in the proposal. The ten phases will be completed through four data collection methodologies. 1. Secondary data collection (i.e., desk review); 2. Quantitative survey through a household survey (sample size – 2100 households; sampling method; PPS cluster sampling); 3. Community and institutional qualitative data collection (Focus group discussions – 30 Nos., Key informant interviews – 68; 4. institutional secondary data based on Indoor Morbidity and Mortality Registers |
| Expected outcomes and use of results | It is expected to provide information on any disruption to service delivery, access to for health services and financial risk protection. It will be used for the development of evidence based policy recommendations for health system recovery plan from the current financial and economic crisis. |
| Keywords | health service delivery, healthcare access, and financial risk protection, COVD-19, economic crisis |
Research Details
| Student research | No |
| Start Date | 01-Oct-2022 |
| End Date | 28-Feb-2023 |
| Key Implementing Institution | World Health Organization |
| Multi-country research | No |
| Nationwide research | Yes, with randomly selected geographical areas |
| Sri Lanka | |
| Research Domain(s) | Non-communicable diseases & Healthy Lifestyles, Health Systems Research |
| Research field(s) | Health Care Seeking/Utilization |
| Involves human subjects | Yes |
| Population-Based Survey | |
| Data Collection | Primary data |
| Proposal reviewed by other Committee | Final decision available |