Covid-19 and Gender in LMICs: Potential Lessons from HIV Pandemic
- PDF / 452,519 Bytes
- 4 Pages / 595.276 x 790.866 pts Page_size
- 93 Downloads / 181 Views
NOTES FROM THE FIELD
Covid‑19 and Gender in LMICs: Potential Lessons from HIV Pandemic Eusebius Small1 · Bonita B. Sharma2 · Silviya Pavlova Nikolova3
© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
The Novel Coronavirus (SARS-COV-2) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome is a public health concern that has resulted in over 4.6 million cases globally, with more than 311,000 deaths as of May 2020 [1]. The impact of COVID-19 on low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) is still unknown but could be catastrophic [2]. Already crippled by weak economies and a history of HIV, COVID-19 could be a devastating blow to the fragile healthcare systems of these countries. Kenya, for example, is a country with a population of 50 million people and only 200 intensive care (ICU) beds countrywide [1]. In comparison, the United States (US), with 34 ICU beds for every 100,000 people, has been overwhelmed by COVID-19 [1]. We highlight the strain that the outbreak could impose on LMICs, which are already burdened by a 30-year history of fighting HIV/AIDS. Approximately 38 million people are currently living with HIV globally [3]; 70% of these people live in the SSA region [4]. COVID-19 has impacted all continents, with over 90% of deaths occurring in the wealthiest countries [5]; however, a disturbing trend observed in the US is that the poor and minority populations are disproportionately impacted [2]. Similar trends were observed in the HIV transmissions over the years [6]. Without enough kits and proper surveillance networks to trace and quarantine infected people, many LMICs will struggle to contain this pandemic. We outline four ways that COVID-19 may be devastating * Eusebius Small [email protected] Bonita B. Sharma [email protected] Silviya Pavlova Nikolova silviya.p.nikolova@mu‑varna.bg 1
for SSA, which has borne the brunt of infectious diseases, including tuberculosis, malaria and AIDS. Drawing from the current literature, we suggest solutions in COVID-19 mitigations for LMICs.
Structural Inequalities and Disease Burden The intersections between infectious diseases, including HIV and structural inequalities, cannot be overstated. HIV disproportionately impacts women [7] and is often concentrated in socially marginalized and disenfranchised communities [8]. COVID-19 is affecting women disproportionately; they are “essential workers" taking the strain as food service industry workers, janitors, cashiers, and stockers. Many live in densely populated areas that have no proper sanitation [7]. The social distancing and lockdown measures have impacted nearly 81% of the world’s labor force, mostly women [7]. According to the World Bank, almost 24 million fewer people will escape poverty in East Asia and the Pacific because of the financial impact of COVID-19 in 2020 [9]. Already half of the world population cannot access healthcare services, and large numbers of households are poor because of healthcare costs [9]. The emergence of COVID-19 may widen the gender inequality gap to an unprecedented le
Data Loading...
