Framework for the Response of Integrated Health Service Delivery Networks to COVID-19, 10 May 2020

Abstract

Introduction: In response to the emergency generated by the new coronavirus (COVID-19), which emerged in Wuhan, Hubei Province in the People's Republic of China during December 2019 and the WHO Director-General statement on 11 March 2020 characterizing the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic, Dr. Carissa Etienne, Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), has instructed to raise the level of preparedness of health services in the Region of the Americas. Given this situation, the PAHO Emergency Operations Center (EOC) been activated to ensure that health delivery services in the countries of the Americas are prepared to respond to sustained community transmission of COVID-19. PAHO’s Department of Health Systems and Services (HSS) has defined these general guidelines for the response to the emergency of COVID-19 based on the Primary health care strategic approach and the transformation toward integrated health service delivery...