Direct and indirect effects of the covid-19 pandemic and response in South Asia

Conclusions

Both modelled and prospective data reveal serious consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic with implications for maternal and child health and nutrition (11, 62). Therefore, it is imperative that we now turn our focus towards mitigating the indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and response.

These should include strengthening food systems to ensure a resilient supply of nutritious and affordable foods, creating economic opportunities and income generating activities using a gendered lens, ameliorating inequities in educational attainment, and a renewed focus on improving coverage of basic health and nutrition interventions during pregnancy, infancy and childhood, and adolescence, especially for girls.

Our modelling study also has implications for specific public policy measures that should be undertaken by the region’s governments. These include, but are not limited to:

Increase the coverage of COVID-19 mitigation measures, such as use of masks and hand hygiene, which can lead to ~400,000 fewer deaths over the next year

Ensure uninterrupted and improved coverage of essential maternal and child health and nutrition services, such as family

© UNICEF/India/UN0378029/Panjwani/2020