Children the hidden victims of COVID-19
Reaching the most vulnerable, thanks to the generous support of our donors
Today, the world continues to grapple with the coronavirus disease also known as COVID-19 and its impact on many, including children.
In Uganda, the situation is not any different. Millions of children have had their learning interrupted because of school closures. Families have lost their livelihoods and are struggling to make ends meet. As a result of increased prices many are having one meal a day which meals lack the necessary nutrients for children to grow well. Children around the country will likely face increasing threats to their safety and well-being – including mistreatment, gender-based violence, exploitation, social exclusion and separation from caregivers – because of actions taken to contain the disease, while many are missing out on life-saving vaccines and medication. These factors and the possibility of anxiety, stigma and discrimination increase children’s vulnerability to abuse, exploitation and psychological distress. In extreme cases, children may find themselves robbed of a childhood as they step in for ill caretakers or work to supplement household income.
It is therefore critical that children’s access to learning, health, nutrition and protection services is not affected. To address their most urgent needs, during these challenging times, UNICEF has received generous contributions from:
| The Hilton Foundation |
| Rockefeller Foundation |
| Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation |
| SIDA |
With this generous support and timely funding, UNICEF working with other UN agencies, the Government and the private sector will do the following:
- Facilitate fuel for referral system ambulances in the 17 districts of the West Nile Region. The ambulances are being used to transport emergency referrals such as pregnant women and sick children.
- Procure Personal Protective Equipment for Village Health Teams in 17 districts in Uganda.
- Procure Personal Protective Equipment for health workers for 26 districts in Uganda.
- Support emergency response for containment and management of COVID-19 through coordination, risk communication and community engagement, infection prevention and control, mental health and psychosocial support, and communication.
- Support access to essential services and life-saving goods like, health, nutrition, HIV and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).
- Coordination, risk communication and case management
“Not only are children and young people contracting COVID-19, they are also among its most severely impacted victims. Unless we act now to address the pandemic’s impacts on children, the echoes of COVID-19 will permanently damage our shared future,”