In March 2020, governments in West Africa took steps to protect their populations from the threat of COVID-19 virus. As in other countries, they closed schools, prohibited large gatherings, introduced curfews and restricted movement to and from large cities. While important from a public health perspective, such measures will have multiple consequences. The poorest households are likely to be disproportionately affected.
This brief review by ICI looks at evidence from past pandemics to understand the risks for children and identify what can be done to address them. It draws on evidence from other pandemics, notably Ebola, to understand how children were affected, exploring how applicable these findings might be to cocoa-growing communities.
Read online: How will COVID-19 affect children in cocoa-growing communities?
