Incorporating COVID-19 responses into the broader health system strengthens emergency preparedness and response capacities, enhancing resilience against future pandemics and health emergencies.
In partnership with the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), the Ohio State University Global One Health initiative (GOHi) conducted a workshop on developing a comprehensive guide for integrating COVID-19 service delivery into the routine health system. This integration allows for more efficient utilization of resources – such as workforce, logistics and infrastructure – reducing redundancy and improving overall healthcare delivery.
Experts from the EPHI, GOHi and other partners prepared these integration guidelines based on previously endorsed documents and adopted them from the World Health Organization's global health architecture for the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response framework.
As the World Health Organization states that COVID-19 is no longer a public health emergency of international concern, this guideline aims to support the transition of COVID-19 management into the routine health system.