The COVID 19 pandemic is straining health systems worldwide The rapidly increasing demand on health facilities and health care workers threatens to leave some health systems overstretched and unable to operate effectively Previous outbreaks have demonstrated that when health systems are overwhelmed mortality from vaccine preventable and other treatable conditions can also increase dramatically During the 2014 2015 Ebola outbreak the increased number of deaths caused by measles malaria HIV AIDS and tuberculosis attributable to health system failures exceeded deaths from Ebola 1 2 The best defense against any outbreak is a strong health system stressed WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus COVID 19 is revealing how fragile many of the world s health systems and services are forcing countries to make difficult choices on how to best meet the needs of their people To help countries navigate through these challenges the World Health Organization WHO has updated operational planning guidelines in balancing the demands of responding directly to COVID 19 while maintaining essential health service delivery and mitigating the risk of system collapse This includes a set of targeted immediate actions that countries should consider at national regional and local level to reorganize and maintain access to high quality essential health services for all Countries should identify essential services that will be prioritized in their efforts to maintain continuity of service delivery and make strategic shifts to ensure that increasingly limited resources provide maximum benefit for the population They also need to comply with the highest standard in precautions especially in hygiene practices and the provision of adequate supplies including personal protective equipment This requires robust planning and coordinated actions between governments and health facilities and their managers Some examples of essential services include routine vaccination reproductive health services including care during pregnancy and childbirth care of young infants and older adults management of mental health conditions as well as noncommunicable diseases and infectious diseases like HIV malaria and TB critical inpatient therapies management of emergency health conditions auxiliary services like basic diagnostic imaging laboratory services and blood bank services among others Well organized and prepared health systems can continue to provide equitable access to essential service delivery throughout an emergency limiting direct mortality and avoiding increased indirect mortality The guidelines stress the importance of keeping up to date information This requires frequent transparent communications with the public and strong community engagements so the public can maintain trust in the system to safely meet their essential needs and to control infection risk in health facilities This will help ensure that people continue to seek care when appropriate and adhere to public health advice 1 Elston J W T Cartwright C Ndumbi P Wright J 2017 The health impact of the 2014 15 Ebola outbreak Public Health 143 60 70 2 Parpia A S Ndeffo Mbah M L Wenzel N S Galvani A P 2016 Effects of response to 2014 2015 Ebola outbreak on deaths from malaria HIV AIDS and tuberculosis West Africa Emerging infectious diseases 22 3 433 For interviews please contact Tarik Jasarevic To access the full guidance please visit https www who int emergencies diseases novel coronavirus 2019 technical guidance maintaining essential health services and systems For further information and guidance on COVID 19 please visit https www who int emergencies diseases novel coronavirus 2019