Countries across the world have now taken unprecedented steps to contain the spread of coronavirus since its emergence in December 2019.
And as the virus became a pandemic various countries including those from Africa are beginning to lock down their populations as the virus spreads rapidly.
However, with lockdowns, curfews and restricted movement come the challenge of ensuring that the most vulnerable are not left behind.
The World Health Organization-W.H.O is now calling on governments to ensure that at the very least its populations are accessing food among other basic human needs.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says it is not enough for governments to restrict movements, but they have to come up with measures to feed the most vulnerable.
Countries are asking ppl to #stayhome & shutting down population movement to limit #COVID19 transmission. These steps can have unintended consequences for the poorest & most vulnerable. I call on countries to ensure these populations have food & life essentials during the crisis.
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) April 2, 2020
Separately the global economy could shrink by up to one percent in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and may contract even further if restrictions on economic activities are extended without adequate fiscal responses, according to analysis released today by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).
The DESA briefing finds that millions of workers are at risk of losing their jobs as nearly 100 countries close their national borders.
That could translate to a global economic contraction of 0.9 percent by the end of 2020, or even higher if governments fail to provide income support and help boost consumer spending.
According to the forecast, lock-downs in Europe and North America are hitting the service sector hard, particularly industries that involve physical interactions such as retail trade, leisure and hospitality, recreation and transportation services.
Collectively, such industries account for more than a quarter of all jobs in these economies.
