Some low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) could experience a surge in HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria deaths over the next five years because of disruption to health services caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a new study, published in The Lancet Global Health journal.
The researchers have estimated that in areas heavily affected by these major infectious diseases, the impact of Covid-19 disruption on years of life lost could be of a similar scale to the direct impact of the pandemic itself.
Maintaining core services for HIV, TB, and malaria could largely mitigate the broader health impact of Covid-19, they said.
This includes ensuring access to antiretroviral therapy (Art), timely TB diagnosis and treatment, and early resumption of the distribution of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs) and anti-malarial treatment.
“The Covid-19 pandemic and actions taken in response to it could undo the some of the advances made against major diseases such as HIV, TB, and malaria over the past two decades,” said study researcher Timothy Hallett from Imperial College London in the UK.
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