Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Peruvian Ministry of Health (MINSA, Spanish acronym) faces the challenge of ensuring the continuity of the provision of comprehensive healthcare to children at the first level of care. In light of this reality, there is a need to adapt the delivery of these health services from provision at fixed locations to a telehealth solution in order to minimize the risk of contagion caused by close contact. 

This adapted form of comprehensive care must include essential procedures that, in this new era of social distancing, are capable of assessing the health, nutrition, and development of the children so as to promptly detect risks and also provide guidance that promotes the children’s adequate growth and their achievement of developmental skills. Telehealth has been proposed as the main strategy for meeting this demand and providing greater access to health services, and this solution must extend beyond the confines of being a response to this health emergency. 

This virtual seminar presented the progress made and challenges faced by Peru, as well as the experiences of Colombia and Kyrgyzstan in using telehealth to provide comprehensive care to children in the face of the health crisis.

 

Speakers:

Sandra Gallegos, Advisor on Service Delivery and Primary Health Care, Colombian Ministry of Health

Nathalia Munarth, Pediatrician - Directorate of Prevention and Promotion of Health, Colombian Ministry of Health

Dr. Boris Verona Mesia, Executive Director of the Interventions by Life Course and Comprehensive Care Directorate - General Directorate of Public Health Strategic Interventions

Gerrit Maritz, Chief - Child Survival and Development for UNICEF in the Kyrgyz Republic

Bakyt Dzhangaziev, Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic

Tilek Nurdin Uulu, Socservice (Kyrgyz Republic)

Neha Verma, Chief Executive Officer, Intelehealth (Kyrgyz Republic)

 

Discussant: Karin Källander, Senior Health Specialist - Global Digital Health Lead, UNICEF

 

Moderador: Rosana Vargas, Senior Technical Advisor, Good Governance Programme, GIZ-Peru  

 

 

This was the fifth webinar of the Webinar Series on Early Childhood Development, organised by GIZ.