The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the capacity of health systems to continue the delivery of essential health services. While health systems around the world are being challenged by increasing demand for care of COVID-19 patients, it is critical to maintain preventive and curative services, especially for the most vulnerable populations, such as children, older persons, people living with chronic conditions, minorities and people living with disabilities.

Countries need to achieve the optimal balance between fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and maintenance of essential health services. WHO has been coordinating efforts across several regions and departments to support country implementation of targeted actions to reorganize and maintain access to safe and high-quality essential health services across the life course. 

Additional references and publications regarding mass gatherings during the Covid 19 outbreak. 

"Maintaining essential health services: Operational guidance for the COVID-19 context"

Interim guidance on June 1, 2020.  

This document expands on the content of the essential health services and systems pillar of the COVID-19 strategic preparedness and response plan.

Part 1 outlines basic principles and practical recommendations that support decision-making to ensure the continuity of select essential health services, highlighting key actions that countries should consider. Part 2 contains brief sections addressing specific adaptations and considerations for life course and disease programmes in the context of COVID-19. These sections are intended to be used in conjunction with — and do not replace — existing WHO programme guidance in these areas.

 "Public health for mass gatherings: Key considerations"  

This document provides an update to the Communicable disease alert and response for mass gatherings: key considerations, June 2008. This new version builds on the expertize gained across the global mass gathering (MG) community since this was published. It has also been expanded to cover more than communicable diseases and includes new areas such as legacy, environmental health, and different contexts such as unplanned mass gatherings (MGs)

" WHO Mass Gathering COVID-19 Risk Assessment Tool – Generic Events"  

Instructions for authorities and event organizers planning mass gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Pulse survey on continuity of essential health services during the COVID-19 pandemic"

This key informant pulse survey aimed to collect country information to gain a rapid understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on a tracer set of up to 25 essential health services across the life course. The results provide initial insight into perceived disruptions across services, the reasons for disruptions and country approaches to overcoming them.