Aftershocks report – Over 30 million children could die from secondary impacts

More than 30 million children are at risk of disease and death because of the secondary impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. World Vision’s Aftershocks report considers what would happen if the devastating secondary impacts of the 2015-2016 Ebola outbreak on children were replicated in the 24 most fragile countries covered by the UN’s COVID-19 humanitarian appeal.

Not including refugees or migrants, the report’s findings make truly depressing reading.

Over 26 million children will face potentially fatal increased levels of infectious diseases

Another five million will suffer serious malnutrition and increase of 40 per cent on current numbers.

150 million people including 76 million are already awaiting desperately needed humanitarian assistance

100 million, including 42 million children are already in need of basic water, sanitation and hygiene facilities to help stop COVID-19.

Even the best-equipped countries are facing high mortality rates due to a lack of intensive care beds, ventilators and other medical supply shortages including protective equipment. Weak health system capacities are underprepared and under-developed in normal times, let alone dealing with a disease such as COVID-19.

18 per cent of countries around the world are not ready for the disease of the UN’s 182 member states. For a pandemic response, these countries are already overwhelmed by other infectious diseases, cancers and even injuries. In 23 countries there is only 1 hospital bed per 1,000 population, contrasting that with 5.1 for G20 and 5.4 beds for G7 countries. There are only 0.65 doctors per 1,000 population and 1.33 nurses per 1,000 – all without the necessary means to add to their already overburdened health systems to deal with drastically rising demand.

The situation is more than just dire in many countries around the world and COVID-19 will claim many more lives not just through the disease itself but the secondary impacts or aftershocks of the global pandemic.

Read the report entitled:

Covid-19 Aftershocks – Secondary impacts threaten the lives of more children than the COVID-19 pandemic

 

 

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