COVID‐19 pandemic and adolescent health and well‐being in sub‐Saharan Africa: Who cares?

Abstract

The health and well-being impact of COVID-19 on global development agendas has wildly been debated. The World Bank has reported that the poor will be hardest hit from the COVID-19 crisis, and that the pandemic could render about 49 million people including children and young people into extreme poverty in 2020. 1 Crucially, lowand middle-income countries (LMICs) would be greatly affected with almost half of the projected new poor (23 million) been in sub-Saharan Africa. 1 Sub-Saharan Africa again bears the highest COVID-19 risk factors according to the global Multidimensional Poverty Index with almost 90% of the population, 882 million people experiencing at least one COVID-19 risk factor. 2 Considering that the world's largest population, 'adolescents' reside in LMICs 3 suggests that most of the world's young population are at risk of the potential devastation of COVID-19. this vulnerable cohort. There should be social protection interventions targeting adolescents' social, economic and educational empowerment for, especially poor adolescents during the pandemic. This will possibly combat intergenerational poverty and give the next generation a healthy start in life particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. KEYWORDS adolescents, COVID-19 pandemic, health and well-being, lessons from previous pandemics, school closure CONFLICT OF INTEREST The author declares no potential conflict of interest.

The COVID-19 Pandemic and Adolescents’ Experience in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Cross-Country Study Using a Telephone Survey

“…11 In addition to the direct loss of formal education, the critical social protective functions of schools are lost with school closure, which may result in increased child labor, early marriages, adolescent pregnancies, transactional sex, genderbased violence, mental health issues, or exposures to risky behaviors such as tobacco smoking and drug use. 13,[28][29][30][31][32][33] Recently, a survey in Kampala, Uganda, reported that COVID-19 lockdowns were associated with a higher prevalence of unhealthy behaviors such as tobacco smoking/chewing, alcohol drinking, and substance use (such as marijuana). 14 Due to the increased risks of such issues and the direct deprivation of educational opportunities, many adolescents in SSA may not go back to school even after schools reopen after a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

“…However, the public health measures put in place to combat the pandemic, such as extended self-isolation and physical distancing, lockdowns of communities, and the closures of schools, may have adverse collateral effects on the development and health of adolescents that may be difficult to reverse. [11][12][13] In addition to the direct losses of educational opportunities due to school closures, school-based nutrition programs, such as school feeding and nutrition education, are also disrupted by the pandemic. A recent cross-sectional study in Kampala, Uganda, reports that COVID-19 lockdowns led to mental health challenges, reduced ability to meet basic needs, disruptions to socioeconomic status, and engagement in unhealthy behaviors among adolescent boys and young men.…”

Centring adolescent girls and young women in the HIV and COVID-19 responses

“…Despite calls to continue the provision of a minimum package of SRH care during the COVID-19 pandemic, 1, 18,19 what happened during the 2014-16 outbreak of Ebola virus disease in west Africa is instructive. 20 In Sierra Leone adolescents had reduced capability to access or use SRH services during the Ebola outbreak, and cash-strapped health services diverted resources away from essential SRH services to acute responses that facilitated Ebola containment.…”

“…21 Consequently, it is likely that during the COVID-19 pandemic the compounding effects of limited access to SRH services, isolation, and loss of family members and income have disproportionately affected adolescent girls and young women, further exacerbating gender inequalities and GBV. 1,18 It will be some months before the impacts of COVID-19 on adolescent girls and young women will be fully appreciated, including the social harms and inadvertent negative outcomes of the COVID-19 response. A risk-benefit assessment is needed to identify and mitigate the indirect effects of COVID-19 mitigation and containment strategies to address these impacts and also to prepare for the next epidemic.…”

Mozambican Adolescents and Youths during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Knowledge and Awareness Gaps in the Provinces of Sofala and Tete

“…Few data are available on the knowledge of COVID-19 among adolescents and youths, especially in African countries [ 16 ]. At-risk populations’ demographic characteristics play a vital role in the type and intensity of measures necessary to curb the spread of the virus.…”