TY - JOUR
T1 - Lessons learned from the Baltic countries’ response to the first wave of COVID-19
AU - Webb, Erin
AU - Winkelmann, Juliane
AU - Scarpetti, Giada
AU - Behmane, Daiga
AU - Haabicht, Triin
AU - Kahur, Kristiina
AU - Kasekamp, Kaija
AU - Kohler, Kristina
AU - Miščikiene, Laura
AU - Misiņš, Janis
AU - Reinap, Marge
AU - Slapšinskaitė, Agne
AU - Vork, Andres
AU - Karanikolos, Marina
N1 - Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - The Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania shared a similar response to the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the information available on the COVID-19 Health System Response Monitor platform, this article analyzed measures taken to prevent transmission, ensure capacity, provide essential services, finance the health system, and coordinate their governance approaches. All three countries used a highly centralized approach and implemented restrictive measures relatively early, with a state of emergency declared with fewer than 30 reported cases in each country. Due to initially low COVID-19 incidence, the countries built up their capacities for testing, contact tracing, and infrastructure, without a major stress test to the health system throughout the spring and summer of 2020, yet issues with accessing routine health care services had already started manifesting themselves. The countries in the Baltic region entered the pandemic with a precarious starting point, particularly due to smaller operational budgets and health workforce shortages, which may have contributed to their escalated response aiming to prevent transmission during the first wave. Subsequent waves, however, were much more damaging. This article focuses on early responses to the pandemic in the Baltic states highlighting measures taken to prevent virus transmission in the face of major uncertainties.
AB - The Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania shared a similar response to the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the information available on the COVID-19 Health System Response Monitor platform, this article analyzed measures taken to prevent transmission, ensure capacity, provide essential services, finance the health system, and coordinate their governance approaches. All three countries used a highly centralized approach and implemented restrictive measures relatively early, with a state of emergency declared with fewer than 30 reported cases in each country. Due to initially low COVID-19 incidence, the countries built up their capacities for testing, contact tracing, and infrastructure, without a major stress test to the health system throughout the spring and summer of 2020, yet issues with accessing routine health care services had already started manifesting themselves. The countries in the Baltic region entered the pandemic with a precarious starting point, particularly due to smaller operational budgets and health workforce shortages, which may have contributed to their escalated response aiming to prevent transmission during the first wave. Subsequent waves, however, were much more damaging. This article focuses on early responses to the pandemic in the Baltic states highlighting measures taken to prevent virus transmission in the face of major uncertainties.
KW - Covid-19
KW - Baltic Countries
KW - health systems
UR - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168851021002931?via%3Dihub
UR - https://www-webofscience-com.db.rsu.lv/wos/alldb/full-record/MEDLINE:35101287
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85123695356&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.healthpol.2021.12.003
DO - 10.1016/j.healthpol.2021.12.003
M3 - Article
C2 - 35101287
SN - 0168-8510
VL - 126
SP - 438
EP - 445
JO - Health Policy.
JF - Health Policy.
IS - 5
ER -