A Qualitative Assessment of Essential Health and Nutrition Service Delivery in the Context of COVID-19 in Bangladesh: The Perspectives of Divisional Directors

Health systems in Bangladesh, as many others globally, were overwhelmed by the pandemic impacting both EHNS and COVID-19 related services, but little has been documented on the narratives of health administrators at the local levels about these experiences. At the national level, instructions and guidelines to address essential health and family planning services during the pandemic were established in Bangladesh between January to December 2020. These guidelines were distributed to the subnational units to maintain service structure and ensure the safety and capacity of the health services during the pandemic. While the guidelines intended to provide a homogenous national response, application at the divisional level faced challenges. Hence, it is fundamental to document the experiences at the divisional level in providing essential health and nutrition services and COVID-19 related services through the narratives of those in charge of managing local services.