COVID-19: A Catastrophe for Children in Sub-Saharan Africa

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This report investigates how COVID-19 and other shocks have impacted child well-being in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) during 2020 and the potential role of cash transfers and external resources to help children and economies. It reviews the latest social, economic and financial information from a range of global databases and modelling exercises, draws on emerging country-level reporting and carries out projections where recent data are unavailable. Although information remains incomplete and things are quickly evolving, the…

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If not now, when?

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This report looks at the extent to which older people’s rights are being upheld in emergencies and their needs met. The picture it paints is a bleak one. Although some efforts are being made to support older people, overall, the humanitarian system is failing by the standards it has set itself. The report draws on the findings of needs assessments carried out by HelpAge International in the 13 months to the end of 2019. We interviewed…

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Prevailing against pandemics by putting people at the centre

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Five years after a global commitment to Fast-Track the HIV response and end AIDS by 2030, the world is off track. A promise to build on the momentum created in the first decade of the twenty-first century by front-loading investment and accelerating HIV service provision has been fulfilled by too few countries. Important gains in the most affected regions of sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean have been counterbalanced by rising epidemics in Latin America, eastern…

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A lifeline at risk: COVID-19, Remittances and Children

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Overview of remittances Remittances – money and other assistance sent by migrants, refugees and displaced persons – are a key support for hundreds of millions of families and children around the world. Globally, 800 million people – about one in every nine people worldwide – live in households receiving international remittances. In some countries, more than 30 per cent of all children have at least one parent who works and lives away from home. In…

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Women and children in times of COVID-19

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The WeWorld Index 2020 has new features compared to the previous editions. The goal for which it was first conceived in 2015 still stands: to measure the inclusion of women and children in 172 countries around the world, considering inclusion as a multi-dimensional process, affecting various aspects of life (in line with the 2030 Agenda). The starting point for fostering the inclusion of women and children is to guarantee their rights. To achieve that, resorting…

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Solidarity in the time of COVID-19: Civil Society Responses to the Pandemic

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As the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world, civil society stepped up to help. Civil society organisations (CSOs) made a difference to people and communities experiencing the impacts of both the pandemic and the emergency measures taken by states. CSOs worked not only as frontline responders, but also as defenders of human rights during the pandemic, including the rights of vulnerable and excluded groups. This report outlines some of the many civil society responses to the…

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COVID-19 & Green Recovery

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The COVID-19 pandemic is wreaking havoc on children, families and communities around the world. To move from risk to resilience and build back better and stronger, recovery efforts must address key underlying causes of the pandemic: unsustainable economic development, climate change and a collective disregard for the natural environment. This brief focuses on the links between the pandemic, the destruction of the natural environment and climate change, and calls for systematic change to create a…

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Is the Coronavirus Catalyzing New Civic Collaborations for Open Government?

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From Africa to Latin America to Europe, the coronavirus pandemic has generated a surge in public demand for government transparency and accountability. To seize this window for reform, elite and grassroots civic actors concerned with open governance must overcome the cleavage that has long existed between them. Thus far, the pandemic has catalyzed some new civic collaborations, but not at the scale or depth needed to seize that window. In general, civil society groups report…

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Beyond Masks: Societal impacts of COVID-19 and accelerated solutions for children and adolescents

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This report provides a review of literature on the societal impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as past health and economic shocks, and possible solutions for mitigating impact at individual, household and societal levels. The evidence base on the societal impacts of the pandemic is still nascent. For children, it is weaker still, largely due to the paucity of age-disaggregated data and the relatively low number of paediatric studies, particu-larly in low- and middle-income…

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Let’s break silos now! Achieving disability-inclusive education in a post-COVID world

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A world where inclusive education can flourish is also a world that can nurture inclusive societies. Inclusive learning environments consider diversity an asset and, accordingly, they cater for the different needs of all learners, so that they learn, grow and thrive together. Working towards this vision is critical for reducing the vast levels of inequality and discrimination currently faced by millions of persons across the globe. This is especially so for the millions of children…

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