COVID-19 and child health

What about children and COVID-19? While children seem to be less impacted by COVID-19 with possibly fewer infections and definitely fewer deaths, the main concern about child health is the potential collateral damage and indirect effects of COVID-19 on child health services. Some concerning highlights:

117 million children may miss measles vaccine as 23 countries suspended immunisation campaigns early in the pandemic. A model by LSHTM (Abbas et.al. LGH 2020) suggested that continuing routine immunisation programmes may lead to 8,300 additional COVID-19 deaths, while suspending such vaccination programmes to avoid excess COVID-19 deaths could lead to 702,000 child deaths from vaccine preventable diseases. After publication of this model, many countries reinstated immunisation programmes with an emphasis on infection control procedures and personal protective equipment.

There have also been projections of increased child wasting and malnutrition related mortality. Heady et.al. (Lancet 2020) estimated additional estimated 6·7 million children with wasting is combined with a projected 25% reduction in coverage of nutrition and health services, estimate 128 605 additional deaths in children younger than 5 years from malnutrition.

These impacts on child nutrition are based on impact of COVID-19 on poverty and food systems. The World Food Programme analysis shows that, due to the Coronavirus, an additional 130 million people could be pushed to the brink of starvation by the end of 2020. That’s a total of 265 million people.

This video presents a discussion on the threat to Food Systems globally due to COVID-19 and suggests some ways public health professionals can work on broader social determinants of health to mitigate these threats. COVID-19 has posed a global threat not only to health but also well-being, the economy and our communities. We must think beyond health systems to these wider systems to assure the health of children and families.