The Magnitude of Health and Health Services Problems Linked to COVID-19 in Yemen: a mixed‑method study

Objectives This study assesses the scope of health and health service problems linked to COVID-19 in Yemen, identifying the critical gaps and necessary interventions. Methods A mixed-method approach was used, reviewing reports from Yemen’s Ministry of Public Health and Population, WHO, UN, and other international data from January to April 2022. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted with 22 participants to evaluate specific health service challenges, and a checklist was used to obtain additional understanding. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS for Statistical insights, while Qualitative Data were manually coded and organized in Excel for thematic analysis. Results The majority of participants acknowledged the importance of implementing containment measures, highlighting the multi-sectorial efforts and their significant role during the pandemic at different levels state. Other individuals indicated misinformation among health workers and the community and noted the necessity for a specific epidemic hospital in Aden. Challenges include security, a fragile health system, limited access to healthcare, and inadequate medical supplies. Conclusions This study considered the first to magnitude health and health services alongside incidence and mortality rates from January to June 2022, evaluating multi-sectorial actions to improve the epidemic response and health services in Yemen, and providing a comprehensive review nationwide of the health system post-armed conflict.