Table 2. Impact of COVID-19 on measles and rubella, AFP/polio, and other VPD surveillance systems according to 154 STOP Program consultants in the World Health Organization’s African Region, 2020*.
| Category | No. (%) respondents |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Measles and rubella | AFP/polio | Other VPDs | |
| Compared to 2019, in 2020 did COVID-19 impact surveillance overall? | |||
| Severely impacted | 66 (43) | 66 (43) | 38 (25) |
| Somewhat impacted | 83 (54) | 84 (55) | 92 (60) |
| Not at all impacted | 3 (2) | 3 (2) | 15 (10) |
| Does not know | 2 (1) | 1 (1) | 9 (6) |
| Missing response |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Compared to 2019, in 2020 did you conduct active surveillance? | |||
| Increased active surveillance | 3 (2) | 1 (1) | 2 (1) |
| Same level of active surveillance | 21 (14) | 19 (12) | 24 (16) |
| Decreased active surveillance | 108 (70) | 119 (77) | 100 (65) |
| No active surveillance | 20 (13) | 13 (8) | 24 (16) |
| Does not know | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Missing response |
2 (1) |
2 (1) |
4 (3) |
| Compared to 2019, in 2020 did staffing change for surveillance at your level of responsibility? | |||
| Staffing increased | 4 (2) | 11 (7) | 4 (3) |
| No change in staffing | 103 (67) | 89 (58) | 107 (69) |
| Staffing decreased | 23 (15) | 31 (20) | 24 (16) |
| Does not know | 23 (15) | 22 (14) | 18 (12) |
| Missing response |
1 (1) |
1 (1) |
1 (1) |
| Compared to 2019, in 2020 did COVID-19 impact adversely the detection, notification and reporting of cases? | |||
| Yes | 94 (61) | 106 (69) | 94 (61) |
| No | 37 (24) | 40 (26) | 39 (25) |
| Does not know | 22 (14) | 7 (5) | 20 (13) |
| Missing response |
1 (1) |
1 (1) |
1 (1) |
| For responses indicating an adverse impact on the detection, notification, and reporting of VPD cases, identify the health care level impacted (select all that apply) | |||
| At the national level | 24 (26) | 37 (35) | 29 (30) |
| At the province level | 40 (43) | 50 (47) | 45 (48) |
| At the district level | 75 (80) | 81 (76) | 72 (77) |
| At the local level |
86 (92) |
92 (87) |
85 (90) |
| Compared to 2019, in 2020 did COVID-19 mitigation efforts disrupt the transport of specimens of suspected VPD cases to relevant who reference laboratories? | |||
| Yes | 50 (32) | 73 (47) | 42 (27) |
| No | 50 (32) | 36 (23) | 44 (29) |
| Does not know | 52 (34) | 44 (29) | 66 (43) |
| Missing response | 2 (1) | 1 (1) | 2 (1) |
*AFP, acute flaccid paralysis, VPD, vaccine-preventable disease.
†Percentages may not equal 100% because of rounding.