A united global effort is needed to help prevent COVID-19 from having a
massive destructive impact on the lives of child refugees, migrants and the
very poor, warns aid agency World Vision, as a pandemic is declared by the WHO
(World Health Organization).
World Vision health specialists are urging governments not just to focus
on the impact of the virus on its own citizens, businesses, travel and trade,
but to rally to support war-torn and poverty-affected countries where
coronavirus outbreaks will potentially cause misery.
World Vision International president & CEO Andrew Morley warned:
“The WHO’s pandemic declaration is a signal for us to work together to scale up
the response internationally. While most
countries and citizens will be focused on protecting themselves, we mustn’t
forget those - especially children - living elsewhere as refugees, as displaced
people and in places where there are few doctors, nurses and hospitals. Our
primary concern is for children, many of whom in Asia have already been
impacted by loss of family livelihoods, school closures, and health systems
under strain.”
World
Vision in the Philippines has conducted awareness campaigns on COVID-19 in various rural areas where many
families have limited means to get information.
World
Vision in the Philippines has conducted awareness campaigns on COVID-19 in various rural areas where many
families have limited means to get information.
In the Philippines, World Vision national director Rommel V. Fuerte
pointed out how the country has been coping from succeeding emergencies in the
past months. “Thousands of people are still reeling from the impact of the
multiple earthquakes in Cotabato, volcanic eruption in Taal and typhoon in
Bicol. In Marawi and other fragile areas of the country, thousands of children
are still displaced. We also remember the children living in poor and highly
urbanized areas who are most vulnerable in these times,” Fuerte shared.
“World Vision lauds the coming together of different stakeholders to
combat fear and the further spread of the virus and we continue to pray that we
will get through this as a country and as a global community,” he added.
World Vision is already hard at work distributing protection equipment
and supplies in Asia, where the virus outbreak was first recorded, as well as
rolling out health advice and psycho-social support to children, their
caregivers, and communities.
“COVID-19 is highly infectious and will spread easily in places where
there are unhygienic conditions, crowding, and where health services and
monitoring are weak,“ said World Vision International’s head of Health and
Nutrition, Tom Davis. “This means that countries hosting high numbers of displaced
people where there is a severe lack of doctors, nurses, community health
workers and hospitals need special and urgent support.”
While wealthy countries typically have 2-12 hospital beds per 1,000
population, in the poorest countries it is as few as 1 bed per 10,000. There
also can be a lack of oxygen, ventilators, and intensive care units. In refugee
camps, this kind of medical support is commonly not accessible and death rates
from COVID-19 may be higher than the 3.4% reported so far and which come from
countries with more advanced healthcare systems. Infection rates may be higher due to cramped
living conditions and poor hygiene, Davis warned.
Davis also warned the domino effect for children could be catastrophic
when guardians and income earners fall ill or die creating vulnerabilities for
desperate children that range from dropping out of school, to being forced to
work, beg or enter the sex trade to survive.
Also, as health systems shift resources to caring for the burgeoning
number of adults who are sick with COVID-19, routine child health and nutrition
services may be put on hold or under-resourced.
World Vision calls on all concerned individuals and agencies to support
the government-led efforts to contain the spread of the virus and mitigate the
risks, and to heed health leaders' constant advice regarding the pandemic.
For more updates and information, like and follow World Vision in the Philippines
on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or visit their official website www.worldvision.org.ph.
About World Vision
World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy
organization dedicated to working with children, their families and communities
to overcome poverty and injustice. Inspired by its Christian faith and values,
it is dedicated to working with the world’s most vulnerable people. It serves
and collaborates with all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or
gender.
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