The corona pandemic, as well as conflicts and crises, have set back efforts to help more people lead better lives around the world. Children and women are particularly affected, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Tuesday at the Global Health Summit in Berlin.
Hunger and poverty have risen, and there are clear signs of rising underage marriage, domestic violence, and depression and anxiety among adolescents, the WHO report said. According to this, 21 million children worldwide were not sufficiently vaccinated in 2021, six million more than in 2019, before the outbreak of the corona pandemic. This puts them at risk of serious illnesses. In Africa, which the WHO only declared polio-free in 2020, the first cases have already appeared again this year.
The number of hungry people is increasing
“Although children and adolescents are less likely to experience serious health consequences from SARS-COV-2 infection compared to adults, several years of disruption in education, health, nutrition and social services will continue to affect their lives,” the statement said Report.
According to the report, 150 million more people went hungry last year than in 2019. In the poorest countries, the proportion of undernourishment increased from 8 percent in 2019 to 9.8 percent in 2021.
The world is not on track to achieve the United Nations development goals by 2030, which have clear targets in areas such as health, nutrition and education. In order to achieve this, among other things, basic medical care must be improved, even in the most remote regions and conflict areas. Women and girls in particular need better educational opportunities to learn more about health, healthy nutrition, fitness and pregnancy. Water and sanitation supply as well as food security need to be improved in many places.
