Impact Assessment on Maintenance of Essential Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition Services in the Context of COVID-19: Insight from North-Central Nigeria.

Objective: In the context of COVID-19 in North Central Nigeria, a qualitative interview study was conducted to assess the impact on the maintenance of essential sexual, reproductive, maternal newborn, child, adolescent healthy plus nutrition serves (RMNCAH+N). Methods: This proposition aligns with the global crusade of the United Nations Sustainable development goals (UNSDGs 2.3.8) that highlights good nutrition (zero hunger) access to quality healthy and sustainable economic growth path. To this end, a field survey design was done qualitatively. Key informant interviews (KIIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs) were used in the qualitative analysis, which was based on typical interview schedules. During the study period, a total of 258 people from six different communities participated in the KII and FGD interviews. Results: Key study findings outline eight major master essential concepts, such as healthcare workers reporting a variety of tough emotions and psychological issues. These included insufficient medical equipment's, dissatisfaction with members of the public who did not observe social distancing norms, concerns about protecting their loved ones from infection, increased workload, and changing working conditions, insufficient personal protective equipment kits (PPE), and a sense that their frontline work was being undermined. Conclusions: There was also a significant increase in gender-based violence. Further policy suggestions are outlined in the concluding section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]