COVID-19 preparedness in Malawi: a national facility-based critical care assessment

Type Journal Article Author Paul D Sonenthal Author Jones Masiye Author Noel Kasomekera Author Regan H Marsh Author Emily B Wroe Author Kirstin W Scott Author Ruoran Li Author Megan B Murray Author Alice Bukhman Author Emilia Connolly Author Tadala Minyaliwa Author Martha Katete Author Grace Banda Author Mulinda Nyirenda Author Shada A Rouhani URL https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/langlo/PIIS2214-109X(20)30250-3.pdf Series Correspondence Volume 8 Publication The Lancet Global Health Date 25/05/2020 DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(20)30250-3 Abstract COVID-19 has emerged in 46 countries in the WHO African region as of May 6, 2020.1 To treat patients with the disease, facilities require oxygen, intensive care unit (ICU) beds, ventilators, isolation space, and personal protective equipment (PPE) among other resources.2 Even in well-resourced countries, COVID-19 has strained or overwhelmed health systems, necessitating surges in ICU capacity to accommodate the increased number of patients who are critically ill.3Assessing readiness of health facilities is a key element of outbreak preparedness, and initial capacity assessments are central to WHO guidelines for country-level response to COVID-19.4 Although concerns about the vulnerability of low-income countries’ health systems are widespread,5 few facility-level assessments of critical care capacity exist in these settings.6 This lack of data is a substantial barrier to COVID-19 preparedness