Second round of the national pulse survey on continuity of essential health services during the COVID-19 pandemic: January-March 2021

The World Health Organization (WHO) published this second round of survey on the state of essential health services during the Covid-19 pandemic on April 22, 2021. It integrates many key questions from previous WHO pulse surveys, including the first survey published in August 2020.Sent to over 216 countries and territories, the survey aimed at assessing pandemic-related disruptions to health systems and services in various parts of the world. It looked at 63 different service delivery channels including primary care; emergency, critical and operative care; rehabilitative, palliative and long-term care; as well as auxiliary services. It evaluated impacts on reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (RMNCAH); immunisation; communicable and non-communicable diseases; neglected tropic diseases; and mental, neurological and substance use (MNS) disorders among others.Of the 216 countries and territories, 135 (63 per cent) submitted their responses to the survey. Among those, 81 completed all the sections of the survey. Most of the survey responses reflect the disruptions experienced during the period of October 2020 to February 2021.The 102-page survey report is divided into 10 sections: Key points (section 1); Introduction (section 2); Methods (section 3); Results (Section 4); Overall service disruptions (Section 5); Reasons for service disruptions (Section 6); Responsiveness to mitigate service disruptions (Section 7); Information Tracking (Section 8); Tracking the global situation: Comparison of Round 1 and 2 survey findings (Section 9); and Conclusions (Section 10).