10.5 million children lost a parent or caregiver to COVID-19 ― UN

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United Nations, in its new analysis of global crises on women, children and adolescent’s health, says that since the start of the global pandemic, 10.5 million children lost a parent or caregiver to COVID-19 while approximately 80 per cent of children in 104 countries and territories experienced learning-loss because of school closures due to the pandemic.

In a new report, the UN said there has been a staggering backsliding across women, children and adolescents’ health revealing that COVID-19, conflict, and climate crises had exacerbated setbacks for childhood and adolescent prospects, and women’s rights.

The report, titled Protect the Promise, is published by global partners, including WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH) and Countdown to 2030, said Africa remains the only region where the number of children affected by stunting has increased over the past 20 years, from 54.4 million in 2000 to 61.4 million in 2020.

In addition, a staggering 149 million children were stunted in 2020 and nearly three-quarters of 45 million children with acute malnutrition in 2020, a life-threatening condition which leaves them vulnerable to death, developmental delays and disease live in lower-middle-income countries, Nigeria inclusive.

The report said that in Nigeria although under-five mortalities declined by 20 per cent since 2013, 1 in 10 children do not reach their fifth birthday.

In addition, 18 per cent of Nigerian children 12-23 months old did not receive any vaccinations, showing a relative decrease of 55 per cent from 5 years ago. While 1 out of 2 (2.5 in 5) births are attended by skilled birth attendants.

The report which provides wide-ranging evidence that children and adolescents face wildly divergent chances of leading a healthy life stated that a child born in a low-income country has an average life expectancy at birth of around 63 years, compared to 80 in a high-income country. This devastating 17-year survival gap has changed little over recent years.

Also, it said that in 2020, 5 million children died even before the age of 5, mostly from preventable or treatable causes. Meanwhile, most maternal, child and adolescent deaths and stillbirths are concentrated in just two regions – sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

A woman in sub-Saharan Africa has around a 130 times higher risk of dying from causes relating to pregnancy or childbirth than a woman in Europe or North America.

United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, in a reaction to the report said “at the core of our unkept promise is the failure to address the gaping inequities at the root of global crises, from the COVID-19 pandemic to conflicts and the climate emergency.”

Although almost three years on from the onset of COVID-19, WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stated “the pandemic’s long-term impact on the health and well-being of women, children and adolescents are becoming evident: their chances for healthy and productive lives have declined sharply. As the world emerges from the pandemic, protecting and promoting the health of women, children and young people are essential for supporting and sustaining the global recovery.”

In reversing hard-won progress for women, children, and adolescents, UNICEF Executive Catherine Russell said “By investing in resilient, inclusive primary health care systems, jumpstarting routine immunisation programmes, and strengthening the health workforce, we can make sure that every woman and every child can access the care they need to survive and thrive.”

The report calls upon the global community to address this damaging trajectory and protect the promises made to women, children, and adolescents in the Sustainable Development Goals. In particular, it advocates for countries to continue investing in health services, address all crises and food insecurity, and empower women and young people around the world.

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