Background: In India, a large number of pregnancies are unplanned resulting in unsafe and illegal abortion. For every legal abortion, 10 to 11 illegal abortions are occurring which endangers the health and survival of the women. In recent years, there is an increase in unwanted and unintended pregnancy at the early age group. Usage of emergency contraception (EC) can decrease the unwanted pregnancy and provide a healthier life. Aim: The aim of study is to assess the knowledge and attitude regarding EC among college students in Thiruvarur District, Tamil Nadu, India. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the college students of Thiruvarur district, Tamil Nadu, India. A total of 758 students were selected by convenient sampling technique. Data was collected by administering a pretested semi-structured questionnaire. Results: Out of 758 students, 183(24%) heard about EC. The commonest source of information was the internet 91 (49.7%). The majority 116 (63.4%) knew that it does not prevent STDs. Of those who were aware, 42% were aware of 42.6% are aware of the time limit to use EC. The knowledge level of about the EC was moderate (60.1%), and it was significantly (p < 0.05) more among students > 25 years old, married participants, students in private institution, of lower socioeconomic status, Muslim students and days' scholars. The negative attitude towards EC was 59%. Nearly 38.8% believed that the EC will affect the next menstrual period, and 35.5% informed it will increase high risk behaviour among adults. The attitude level was significantly associated with the same factors associated with the awareness level with the factors Christian religion replacing Muslim and higher socioeconomic class replacing lower class participants. Conclusion: The knowledge level of the studied college students was moderate, and they mostly had negative attitude towards the EC. Reproductive health education should be given in educational institutions to promote awareness and to remove misconceptions about EC.

The COVID-19 pandemic has left severe impact on livelihood, security and health of informal sector workers, especially domestic workers, majority of whom are women. Being least organised and lacking institutional support, domestic workers are extremely vulnerable to exploitation and human rights violations, and the pandemic has aggravated the situation. Telephonic interviews were conducted with 260 domestic workers from three cities, namely Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi with focus on working conditions, livelihood and household dynamics, health scenario and state support during the pandemic. The data was substantiated with qualitative inputs from in-depth interviews conducted with 12 domestic workers across the cities. In the results, widespread job loss is reported among domestic workers during March–June 2020 along with drastically reduced income and increased workload. About 57% domestic workers reported stigma and discrimination at workplace, and 40% worked without any safety measures. Incidence of domestic violence at home, increased work burden at home, issues in access to health care, etc., were reported. The study findings point out the urgent need to have a national-level policy and state support specifically targeting women domestic workers, without which the situation of poverty, health hazards and social exclusion will continue to exist. JEL Code: J4, J46

The COVID‐19 pandemic impact on children is a growing concern. The United Nations and its agencies (the World Health Organization and UNICEF), Indian Association For Child and Adolescent Mental Health and National Institute of Mental Health and Neuroscience in India warn about the broader impacts on children and call for urgent action to support the world’s children amidst the pandemic which may have lasting consequences. The COVID‐19 pandemic and unprecedented control measures to prevent its spread have disrupted nearly every aspect of children’s lives – their health, development, learning, behaviour and their families’ economic security, including protection from violence and abuse. Given this background, there is an urgent need for action through screening to minimize the mental health issues of children in India who constitute a substantial proportion of the population.

The COVID-19-pandemic-related economic and social crises are leading to huge challenges for all spheres of human life across the globe. Various challenges highlighted by this pandemic include, but are not limited to, the need for global health cooperation and security, better crisis management, coordinated funding in public health emergencies, and access to measures related to prevention, treatment and control. This systematic review explores health, economic and social development issues in a COVID-19 pandemic context and aftermath. Accordingly, a methodology that focuses on identifying relevant literature with a focus on meta-analysis is used. A protocol with inclusion and exclusion criteria was developed, with articles from 15 December 2019 to 15 March 2022 included in the study. This was followed by a review and data analysis. The research results reveal that non-pharmaceutical measures like social distancing, lockdown and quarantine have created long-term impacts on issues such as changes in production and consumption patterns, market crashes resulting in the closure of business operations, and the slowing down of the economy. COVID-19 has exposed huge health inequalities across most countries due to social stratification and unequal distribution of wealth and/or resources. People from lower socio-economic backgrounds lack access to essential healthcare services during this critical time for both COVID-19 and other non-COVID ailments. The review shows that there is minimal literature available with evidence and empirical backup; similarly, data/studies from all countries/regions are not available. We propose that there is a need to conduct empirical research employing a trans-disciplinary approach to develop the most effective and efficient strategies to combat the pandemic and its aftermath. There is a need to explore the social and ecological determinants of this contagious infection and develop strategies for the prevention and control of COVID-19 or similar infections in future.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is affecting society’s health, economy, environment and development. COVID-19 has claimed many lives across the globe and severely impacted the livelihood of a considerable section of the world’s population. We are still in the process of finding optimal and effective solutions to control the pandemic and minimise its negative impacts. In the process of developing effective strategies to combat COVID-19, different countries have adapted diverse policies, strategies and activities and yet there are no universal or comprehensive solutions to the problem. In this context, this paper brings out a conceptual model of multistakeholder participation governance as an effective model to fight against COVID-19. Accordingly, the current study conducted a scientific review by examining multi-stakeholder disaster response strategies, particularly in relation to COVID-19. The study then presents a conceptual framework for multistakeholder participation governance as one of the effective models to fight against COVID-19. Subsequently, the article offers strategies for rebuilding the economy and healthcare system through multi-stakeholder participation, and gives policy directions/decisions based on evidence to save lives and protect livelihoods. The current study also provides evidence about multidimensional approaches and multi-diplomatic mechanisms during the COVID-19 crisis, in order to examine dimensions of multi-stakeholder participation in disaster management and to document innovative, collaborative strategic directions across the globe. The current research findings highlight the need for global collaboration by working together to put an end to this pandemic situation through the application of a Multi-Stakeholder Spatial Decision Support System (MS-SDSS).