COVID 19 Policy Brief Series

UNICEF Malaysia’s Policy Brief Series are concise and informative analyses on Malaysia’s most pressing policy challenges impacting children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Each Policy Brief within this series targets a specific audience in order to draw together the impact of COVID-19 on children from a variety of perspectives and ultimately propose key recommendations to policymakers, civil society organisations and the general public.

COVID-19 is the latest in a growing number of global health, climate and economic crises that threaten to increase hardship, widen existing socio-economic disparities and undermine social cohesion. Children are at risk of becoming its silent victims. Although, the Government of Malaysia has launched a robust response, the litmus test is the extent to which this response provides timely and adequate support that prevents further harm to children’s wellbeing. Given experience and evidence internationally and in Malaysia, there is a need for increased focus on reaching the most vulnerable and close monitoring and evaluation of the response and subsequent new policies.

COVID-19 may be a crisis, but Malaysia should consider using this historic opportunity to address long-standing equity challenges for its children and implement more inclusive and effective policy measures. In doing so Malaysia could: RECOVER from this pandemic better off than before; REBOUND by incorporating inclusive and transformative principles into future visions; and REIMAGINE itself as a more developed, prosperous and equitable nation.