The coordinator of the Global Alliance Against Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD) in the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP) spoke during the online conference "The impact of covid-19 on Chronic Respiratory Diseases in CPLP countries", organized by the Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (IHMT).
The pulmonologist noted that the decrease in hospital care since the beginning of the pandemic was recorded in all CPLP countries: Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe, and Timor-Leste.
In relation to chronic respiratory patients, the pandemic brought a decrease in consultations, exams and emergencies in these countries, said Margarete Arrais.
The discrepancies, "which already existed, but the pandemic made them more visible", were felt in terms of the number of beds, the existence of intensive care units and in the access to telemedicine, but also to all health services, with the limitations in circulation imposed by the confinement aggravating the difficulties.
The specialist considers of utmost importance a survey of the "real impact" of covid-19 on chronic respiratory diseases in the CPLP.
The conference on "The impact of covid-19 on Chronic Respiratory Diseases in CPLP countries" is organized by the IHMT in collaboration with GARD, the CPLP and GARD-Portugal, with the support of the Portuguese Association of Hospital Administrators (APAH).
