News & Analysis: Demographics
“In some countries, lockdowns can produce net increases in mortality. The optimal lockdowns are shorter and milder in poorer countries than in rich ones and never produce a net mortality increase.”
“Young volunteers leading COVID-19 campaigns are connecting with and engaging local leaders—women’s groups, teachers, priests, imams, village heads, healers, and elders—in their communities. Together they are devising microsolutions needed to isolate patients, care for the ill, implement social distancing within existing conditions, and support families in distress.”
“Mevion Chawota, 29, whose both hands and legs are not working said his community will remain at the periphery, even during the vaccination drive. He complained that nobody came to their rescue during the lockdown.”
“We find that following initial declines in per capita economic growth over the 1980s and 1990s, the countries that adopted the reforms experienced notable increases in per capita real GDP growth in the post-2000 period.”
“In Africa, women and girls have largely borne the brunt of the pandemic, as the virus has exacerbated already-existing gender inequalities, laying bare serious fault lines in safety, physical and mental health, education, domestic responsibilities, and employment opportunities.”
“Novavax vaccine trials run in South Africa and the UK indicate that its efficacy in the UK was 89% at least seven days after individuals had received two doses of vaccine. In South Africa, the vaccine efficacy was 60% in people living without HIV.”
“The funds will support AWF’s COVID-19 Recovery Through Water and Sanitation in Africa program, an initiative that relies on a climate-resilient approach to prepare investment in water sector projects that will benefit the vulnerable and underserved poor urban communities.”
“Only one country reported a positive trend over the past few months: Malawi.”
“While the pandemic requires strong responses, we need to ensure that states do not normalize oppressive surveillance and undermine human rights, including the right to freedom of expression and information, and the right to privacy.”
“Differences in demography, comorbidities, and health systems affect mortality risk; lower incomes affect agents’ willingness to forego consumption to reduce disease risk. Optimal containment is significantly less restrictive in the latter context, a normative implication contradicted by positive findings of similarly strict lockdowns across rich and poor countries.”
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