COVID-19 pandemic may lead to surge in HIV, TB, malaria deaths: Lancet study
India TV NewsScientists have predicted a surge in HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria deaths in low- and middle-income countries due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but add that this toll can be reduced by prioritising the most critical services, such as timely diagnosis and treatment for these diseases. According to the modelling study, published in the journal The Lancet Global Health, low- and middle-income countries could see HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria deaths increase by as much as 10, 20, and 36 per cents respectively over the next five years due to the disruption of health services caused by the pandemic. However, the researchers, including those from Imperial College London in the UK, said maintaining core services for HIV, TB, and malaria could largely mitigate the broader health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. "The COVID-19 pandemic and actions taken in response to it could undo the some of the advances made against major diseases such as HIV, TB, and malaria over the past two decades, compounding the burden caused by the pandemic directly," said study co-author Timothy Hallett from Imperial College London. For malaria, the model predicted that in the worst case the COVID-19 pandemic may disrupt planned LLIN distribution, leading to malaria deaths increasing by 36 per cent over the next 5 years.