Child clinic visits drop in rural KZN: study
The number of child health care visits to clinics in KwaZulu-Natal's rural areas has dropped by at least 50% since the total COVID-19 lockdown in March.
That's according to a new study by the Africa Health Research Institute.
It examined the impact of the lockdown on access to basic healthcare systems. The group's Kobus Herbst says in the uMkhanyakude District - HIV care visits increased slightly after the lockdown.
The study focused on 11 clinics in the northern KZN district, before and after the introduction of restrictions.
Herbst says there should more research on the potential health effects on children whose checkups were reduced.
"We don't know exactly why child health visits decreased immediately after lockdown, and we would need to do further research to know for certain.
"We speculate it may parents that were concerned regarding the exposure of their children to COVID-19 infection at the clinics. It became clear in the weeks following that fear resides."
