[Support provided for persons with disabilities and patients with intractable diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic].

Abstract

Objectives　Considering the difficulty and importance of supporting persons with disabilities (PWDs) and patients with intractable diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic, we monitored and reported support activities for PWDs and patients with intractable diseases.Methods　We attempted to identify the issues to be resolved by the keywords "disability" and "intractable disease" from 2019-2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The information materials were (1) abstracts from the general meetings of the Japanese Society of Public Health and the Society of Local Public Health journals (2019-2021), (2) foreign academic journals; (3) newspapers (national papers [Asahi Shimbun, Yomiuri Shimbun, Mainichi Shimbun, Sankei Shimbun], in 2021), media information, such as magazines and websites, (4) legislation, notifications, and research expenses, and (5) patient group information. We made several proposals for the Japanese Society of Public Health.Results　In 2020, facilities for PWDs did not have a system for receiving advice from infection control experts. During the COVID-19 pandemic, PWDs experienced trouble because of the characteristics of their disabilities, such as difficulty in accessing COVID-19 information. Children with disabilities felt stressed owing to the closure of daycare facilities. Further web research is necessary, considering the changes in working style. In 2021, local governments were requested to prepare manuals to provide information to PWDs and respond to infections according to the characteristics of each disability, and support from academic societies was anticipated. In 2022, local governments led collaborations with medical care facilities, health, and welfare. Support from academic societies was desirable to eliminate regional disparities, such as creating manuals for infection control and COVID-19.Conclusion　We believe that receiving advice from various experts on supporting welfare systems for facilities for PWDs during the COVID-19 pandemic helped us achieve our initial goals. We hope that all the experts will continue to work from the perspective of whether anyone is left behind concerning health and welfare.