What is lost in the smoke of COVID-19
Devyn Holliday, Research Officer, Economic, Youth & Sustainable Development Directorate
This blog is part of the seminar series on ‘The Economics of COVID-19’.By Devyn HollidayJun 10 2020 (IPS-Partners) When countries shuttered their shops, closed their markets, and cordoned off places of gathering to help ward off the coronavirus, they did so out of immediate concern for the health and wellbeing of their citizens.
However, as these measures endure the virus is no longer the sole threat to the health and wellbeing of citizens. People across the globe are facing mounting threats to their wellbeing compounded by growing unemployment, lockdown in vulnerable living conditions, and decreases in aid and remittances.
Ultimately, in fighting the flames of Covid-19 other issues are getting suffocated in the smoke— unhealthy tradeoffs arise as other struggles are now neglected and pushed to the side.
Loss of Aid
With resources, aid and attention focused on controlling the spread of Covid-19, the flames of other illnesses previously handled by medical aid are slowly starting to burn again.
Over 117 million children will miss measles vaccinations (as well as those for cholera and polio) in the coming weeks and months as Covid-19 forces countries to put immunization campaigns on hold.
Furthermore, resources have been diverted from women’s sexual and reproductive health with over 5,600 mobile clinics and community-based centres across the globe being closed, thus puttin...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Devyn Holliday Tags: Economy & Trade Health Labour Source Type: news
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