The impacts of the pandemic on the health and well-being of children in Latin America and the Caribbean and its effect on child-sensitive social protection systems

Abstract

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has had a profound impact on health, economic and social conditions in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, affecting different population groups in various ways. While children have not been among the main direct victims of the virus, the crisis triggered by the pandemic has placed children in a situation where they face obstacles to exercising their rights to health and education, social security, a standard of living that allows for their full development and protection from all forms of violence. These challenges are compounded by the fact that in 2020, one in two children was living in poverty. The public health measures most countries have implemented to contain the spread of the virus have also hampered children’s access to routine feeding and vaccination programmes, health check-ups and food and nutrition monitoring, timely diagnosis and medical referrals, and opportunities for free play or camaraderie with peers, all of which are fundamental to achieving their developmental potential.