COVID-19 will ultimately hit the most vulnerable the hardest
Many of the stories we’ve heard about COVID-19 have been from countries like New Zealand – developed countries, where the virus has largely been spread by travel.
But ultimately the poor, and the fight against poverty, will suffer the most.
Countries with weak health systems or with large numbers of displaced people will find it harder to cope. And poorer communities will be disproportionately affected by any economic downturn.
World Vision New Zealand’s national director Grant Bayldon has just returned from visiting the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh and says the community there, among others World Vision works with, will be the most vulnerable.
“In Cox’s Bazar and wherever else people are suffering around the world we need to not only continue our life-saving work, we need to scale it up to meet this new challenge head on,” says Bayldon “We urgently need to accelerate our work to stop the spread of COVID-19, as well as other preventable diseases.”
World Vision is scaling up its work in countries affected by COVID-19 with a focus on the following activities:
Contact:
Gabriel Thomas, News Media Advisor, World Vision New Zealand
Gabriel.Thomas@worldvision.org.nz | +64 21 360 098
But ultimately the poor, and the fight against poverty, will suffer the most.
Countries with weak health systems or with large numbers of displaced people will find it harder to cope. And poorer communities will be disproportionately affected by any economic downturn.
World Vision New Zealand’s national director Grant Bayldon has just returned from visiting the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh and says the community there, among others World Vision works with, will be the most vulnerable.
“In Cox’s Bazar and wherever else people are suffering around the world we need to not only continue our life-saving work, we need to scale it up to meet this new challenge head on,” says Bayldon “We urgently need to accelerate our work to stop the spread of COVID-19, as well as other preventable diseases.”
World Vision is scaling up its work in countries affected by COVID-19 with a focus on the following activities:
- Promoting preventive measures to stop or slow the spread of COVID-19, like handwashing, respiratory hygiene and isolation.
- Supporting health systems and health workers by providing personal protective gear such as masks and gowns.
- Supporting children made vulnerable by COVID-19, providing home learning where schools are closed and offering psychosocial first aid.
Contact:
Gabriel Thomas, News Media Advisor, World Vision New Zealand
Gabriel.Thomas@worldvision.org.nz | +64 21 360 098