Costing of actions to safeguard vulnerable Mexican households with young children from the consequences of COVID-19 social distancing measures

Abstract

COVID-19 has imposed unprecedented challenges to society. As the pandemic evolves, the social distancing measures that have been globally enforced, while essential, are having undesirable socioeconomic side effects particularly among vulnerable populations. In Mexico, families who depend upon informal employment face increased threats to their wellbeing, and households who in addition have young children may face long-term consequences. The Mexican government has not yet taken actions, but a coalition of non-governmental organizations is advocating in partnership with academic institutions for social protection actions such as a cash transfer and basic services subsidies for families with young children, subsisting from the informal sector economy. To facilitate governmental action, we estimated the costs for implementation of these recommendations. The methodology used could be replicated in other countries facing similar challenges.

How is Brazil facing the crisis of Food and Nutrition Security during the COVID-19 pandemic?

“…In Mexico, the country with the third largest number of deaths caused by COVID-19, behind only the United States and Brazil (until August 2020), Vilar-Compte et al (6) pointed to the absence of interventions and social protective actions by the federal government, especially of those aimed at children. In the United States, the country with the highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the world, trillion-dollar packages have been released to support the country's economy companies and maintain jobs.…”

Health equity and COVID-19: global perspectives

“…In a commentary from Italy, authors address the perils of discrimination against the elderly in regards to ICU admission criteria and social distancing measures [9]. A study from Mexico showcases a methodology which may be used by other countries proposing interventions to protect vulnerable families with young children from the negative socio-economic impacts of social distancing measures required to tackle COVID-19 [10]. Spatial inequality is addressed in a recent letter from China on how "pairing assistance" was used in order to mobilize personal to areas hard hit by COVID-19 [11].…”

COVID‐19 and maternal and child food and nutrition insecurity: a complex syndemic

“…For example, in the United States, massive unemployment and loss of income has led thousands of families where young children live to become food insecure (Bauer, 2020) and need to queue at emergency food distribution centres. Furthermore, the infection of meat‐packing plant workers in the Midwest has led to the shutdown of such plants and subsequently to pork and poultry shortages nationwide (Pollan, 2020; The Economist, 2020a). In addition, the inability to transport produce from the fields to points of distribution has forced farmers to leave behind millions of tons of fresh unharvested produce rotten in the fields (Lush, 2020), and to dump large amounts of milk (Pollan, 2020).…”

“…In lower‐income countries, a large proportion of families depend on income generated through the informal economy (International Labour Organization, 2020b). As a result of COVID‐19‐related movement restrictions, many of them have lost their income sources without having access to any social protection to properly support them during the crisis (The Economist, 2020b; Vilar‐Compte et al, 2020). As recently reported from South Africa and other lower‐income countries, populations are now more fearful of dying of hunger than of COVID‐19 itself (The Guardian, 2020) which is understandable given the tens of millions of families already been pushed into extreme poverty, severely limiting their capacity to purchasing basic foods, and the fact that food systems ‐ including supply chains ‐ in these settings are very unstable and weak compared with higher‐income countries, hence more likely to be decimated by the COVID‐19 pandemic (Global Nutrition Report, 2020 ).…”