Down Syndrome Outreach During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Interprofessional Zoom WhatsApp Collaboration in Syria

The COVID-19 pandemic has strained health care systems globally, resulting in limited access to health care for the vast majority of patients, including children (). Global pandemic restrictions have temporarily discontinued or reduced vital child health care services, including immunization, nutrition services, community-based welfare, and early child development programs (). For example, found that more than 68 countries had disruptions in immunization programs, leaving an estimated 80 million children unvaccinated against preventable diseases (e.g., measles, mumps, and rubella). Reduced access to nutritional programs and food shortages because of supply chain disruptions are deleterious to the health and well-being of children. Equally alarming, amidst decreased community surveillance, is the increased risk for child abuse, sex trafficking, and militant recruitment (). Health care systems have been forced to prioritize pandemic responses over pediatric care; the resultant restrictions have had grim implications for the global health and well-being of children. Reduced access to health care services induced by global pandemic restrictions is estimated to contribute to more than 6,000 child deaths per day from otherwise preventable causes. Globally, families have reported closures of local health care centers, medication and provider shortages, excessive wait times, and delayed treatments (). The deleterious effects of these pandemic restrictions are more apparent among children who experience vulnerabilities such as poverty or developmental disabilities ().Children living in poverty and low-income countries often experience disproportionate effects of pandemic restrictions, such as reduced access to health care services. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (), children with developmental disabilities are one group experiencing the deleterious effects of the pandemic. Reduced access to health care services places stringent demands on families and caregivers of children with developmental disabilities (). With minimal or no professional support, these caregivers and families now must fulfill additional roles (e.g., special education provider, social skills coach, speech-language pathologist, behavioralist, and mental health therapist) to maintain their child's health and well-being (). These roles are immensely challenging for those without specialized training, and transitioning into these roles can drastically increase caregiver burnout and fatigue (). Complicating these additional stressors is poverty. Although 10% of the world's children experience developmental disabilities, 80% live in developing countries (), creating the perfect storm for negative health outcomes relative to their counterparts without developmental disabilities or those who are socioeconomically advantaged.