Eleven per cent of the Covid -19 infections (25.7 million till November) were in children and adolescents under 20 years of age, according to a latest report of the UNICEF.
The report “Averting a Lost COVID Generation” noted that more infections occurred among children in the adolescent ages (10 to 189 years) then others. Moreover, the UNICEF also stated that boys were more affected than girls.
Moreover, the report warns of around two million additional child deaths under five years of age and about two lakh additional stillbirths could occur over in 12 month period because of interruptions to health services and malnutrition.
The UNICEF states that an additional six 6 to seven million children under five years of age would suffer from acute malnutrition. The worst hit are children in South Asia and Sub Saharan Africa.
The world organisation said that school closures affected 90 per cent of children. It said that uneven access to digital resources and parental support has amplified the digital divide and inequalities among young people. Another important thing the report highlights is that of the migrant and refugee children. It said that refugees and asylum seekers are excluded from social protection measures. Moreover, it also said that about three billion people have no access to washing their hands properly. This led to the death of 700 children every day because of the lack of sanitation, inadequate water and hygiene.
The UNICEF in its report also talks about mental health of children. It notes that about 70 per cent of the mental health services were disrupted, which has adversely affected the children and the adolescent.
