Noncommunicable diseases and maternal health in face of the coronavirus disease 2019 response

Abstract

Maternal health and Non-communicable Disease (NCD) are closely linked. NCDs in pregnancy lead to serious complications during pregnancy and delivery and in newborns. The management and treatment of pregnant women with NCDs have been compromised by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which has brought to the forefront the deficiencies in the healthcare systems globally. Measures such as lockdowns, social distancing, and transportation restrictions impact maternal healthcare by disrupting access and continuity of care for NCDs and to preventive and health promotion services. In parallel, it negatively impacts the global progress made in decreasing the maternal and neonatal mortality rates (MMR and NMR) in the lower and middle-income countries. There is an urgent need to incorporate maternal health with a focus on high-risk pregnancies into the response measures for COVID-19 and in the planning of preparedness of future pandemics if the Sustainable Development Goals targets for MMR and NMR are to achieve by 2030.

Keywords

• coronavirus disease 2019
• noncommunicable diseases
• pregnancy