Cross-cutting issues
TABLE OF CONTENT
DOCUMENTS
CVA in COVID-19 contexts: guidance from the CaLP network
WFP - Gender & COVID-19 (EN, ES, FR)
Global Technical Assistance Mechanism for Nutrition
COVID-19: How to include marginalized and vulnerable people in risk communication and community engagement
Why include a protection, gender, and inclusion lens in risk communication and community engagement?
Women, the elderly, adolescents, youth, and children, persons with disabilities, indigenous populations, refugees, migrants, and minorities experience the highest degree of socio-economic marginalization. Marginalized people become even more vulnerable in emergencies.1 This is due to factors such as their lack of access to effective surveillance and early-warning systems, and health services. The COVID-19 outbreak is predicted to have significant impacts on various sectors.
The populations most at risk are those that:
depend heavily on the informal economy;
occupy areas prone to shocks;
have inadequate access to social services or political influence;
have limited capacities and opportunities to cope and adapt and;
limited or no access to technologies.
By understanding these issues, we can support the capac- ity of vulnerable populations in emergencies. We can give them priority assistance, and engage them in decision-mak- ing processes for response, recovery, preparedness, and risk reduction.
This interim guidance is based on what is currently known about COVID-19 and the transmission of other viral respiratory infections, as informed by the World Health Organization and Centres for Disease Control.
WFP will update this interim guidance as needed, as additional information becomes available.
Common signs of COVID-19 infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.
Much is unknown about how COVED-19 is spread. It is thought to be transferred person-to- person in respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, exhales or sneezes; directly breathing in droplets from a person with COVID-19 who coughs out or exhales droplets is the main route of transmission. People may be able to catch COVID-19 by touching objects or surfaces the droplets have landed on, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth.
Interim Guidance
Risk to pregnant women
Information from published scientific reports about susceptibility of pregnant women to COVID-19 is not available. Pregnant women experience immunologic and physiologic changes which might make them more susceptible to viral respiratory infections, including COVID-19.
Pregnant women might be at risk for severe illness, morbidity, or mortality compared to the general population as observed in cases of other viral respiratory infections, such as influenza, during pregnancy.
Pregnant women should engage in usual preventive actions to avoid infection like washing hands often and avoiding people who are sick.
