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Child health vulnerabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil and Portugal

Ivone Evangelista Cabral1,2,3, Márcia Pestana-Santos4,5, Lia Leão Ciuffo1

  • 1Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Escola de Enfermagem Anna Nery, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.

Revista Latino-Americana De Enfermagem
|July 7, 2021
PubMed

Insights

The COVID-19 pandemic restricted children

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Pediatrics
  • Health Services Research

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted global health systems, necessitating an analysis of its effects on vulnerable populations.
  • Children's access to primary health care is crucial for their development and well-being, especially concerning routine services like vaccination and childcare.
  • Understanding the specific challenges faced by children in Brazil and Portugal during the pandemic provides valuable insights for future public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the vulnerabilities encountered by children in accessing primary health care services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • To compare the primary health care access challenges for children in Brazil and Portugal.
  • To identify the impact of pandemic-related restrictions on child health services in these two countries.

Main Methods:

  • A documentary study was conducted, analyzing governmental guidelines from Brazil and Portugal issued between March and August 2020.
  • Thematic analysis, guided by health vulnerability principles, was applied to the selected documents.
  • Focus was placed on guidelines pertaining to children's access to primary health care, including vaccination and childcare.

Main Results:

  • Thirteen documents were reviewed, revealing that restrictions on social interactions and health services reduced demand for care.
  • Both Brazil and Portugal suspended in-person consultations for low-risk children, though Portugal maintained routine vaccinations while Brazil temporarily halted them.
  • Remote care strategies, including telemonitoring and teleconsultation, were adopted by both nations to sustain patient-provider connections.

Conclusions:

  • Restricted access to health promotion actions negatively impacted the continuity of care (longitudinality), increasing programmatic vulnerability for children.
  • Individual vulnerabilities were heightened due to increased exposure to preventable diseases and primary health care-sensitive conditions.
  • The pandemic exposed critical gaps in ensuring consistent primary health care access for children, necessitating adaptive strategies.
Abstract

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