The COVID-19 pandemic has had a “devastating social, health and economic impact” on women in Latin America and the Caribbean.
With hospitals and clinics buckling under the pressures of COVID-19, health services for women have been put on the backburner.
Director of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), Dr Carissa Etienne warned that the disruption in healthcare services could set back two decades of women’s health progression.
“Hospitals and clinics have struggled to provide essential health services that women depend on for their health and wellbeing. According to UN estimates, up to 20 million women in the Americas will have their birth control disrupted during the pandemic, either because services are unavailable or because women will no longer have the means to pay for contraception,” Dr Eitenne remarked.
She was speaking at the PAHO weekly news conference when she explained that not only were contraceptive services affect but pregnancy and newborn care has been disrupted in nearly half of the countries in the Americas, leaving expectant and new mothers at risk.
Dr Etienne added that data from 24 countries in the region indicated that more than 200,000 pregnant women have gotten sick with COVID-19 and at least 1,000 died from COVID-19 complications.
