For communities already in crisis - where health systems are weak, lacking basic equipment, and suffering severe shortages of healthcare workers - the impact of COVID-19 will be devastating. Concern is responding in 23 of the world's poorest countries, focusing on containment and prevention, mitigation of impact on food and income security, and early recovery for those affected. We need your support to provide essential supplies, public health information, and skills training.
The poorest communities in the world are simply not prepared for COVID-19. Their health systems lack even basic resources to combat the pandemic. Worse, these are places where poor nutrition and other underlying health conditions are widespread, education systems struggle to provide adequate learning for children, and economic opportunities, even on the best day, are precarious. The immediate effect on health outcomes may pale in comparison to the deepening poverty and hunger that follows.
Concern will provide vital information on how to prevent the spread of the virus, including social distancing and how and why to wear masks, through community campaigns and by training local leaders. By installing simple hand washing stations in communities and providing hygiene kits to families, we will expand access to clean water and soap. We will train health care workers on basic protective and treatment measures, and provide them with vital personal protective equipment.
In addition to helping reduce total infections worldwide, we are also working to mitigate the pandemic's economic impact and support early recovery. We are already scaling up emergency cash programming to ensure vulnerable families can meet their basic needs (food, water, medicine) without having to sell off any hard-won assets. To ensure consistent access to education, we are providing schools with learning materials and helping to develop remote learning options such as radio or home learning.
