The Covid-19 pandemic had a similar impact on the approach to chronic respiratory diseases in CPLP countries, but exposed several inequalities, particularly at the socioeconomic level and in access to health caresaid this Tuesday the pulmonologist Margarete Arrais.

The coordinator of the Global Alliance Against Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD) for 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 pneumologist 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, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Timor-Leste.

As for 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 were made more visible by the pandemic," were felt in the number of beds, the existence of intensive care units, and in access to telemedicine, but also to all health services, with the limitations on movement imposed by the confinement aggravating the difficulties.

The expert considers a survey of the "real impact" of covid-19 on chronic respiratory diseases in the CPLP to be of the utmost importance.

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).