“With an estimated 55pc of the global population having no access to social protection, these losses will reverberate across societies, impacting education, human rights and, in the most severe cases, basic food security and nutrition,” UNDP stated on Monday.
The United Nations agency further said hospitals and health systems are likely to be overwhelmed by the novel disease. “This may be further exacerbated by a spike in cases, as up to 75pc of people in least developed countries lack access to soap and water,” the statement adds.
“This pandemic is a health crisis. But not just a health crisis. For vast swathes of the globe, the pandemic will leave deep, deep scars,” noted Achim Steiner, UNDP administrator
“Without support from the international community, we risk a massive reversal of gains made over the last two decades, and an entire generation lost, if not in lives then in rights, opportunities, and dignity.”
A sharp increase in the number of coronavirus (Covid-19) infections across Africa has raised fears of a full-blown crisis across the continent both healthwise and economicwise, generating concerns that thousands could die if the pandemic overwhelms the already weak health systems.
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