Effect of COVID-19 response in Uganda on street children

Background The COVID‐19 pandemic is of grave concern. As scientific data is being collected about the nature of COVID‐19, government leaders and policy makers are challenged. They might feel pressured to take strong measures to stop virus spread. However, decisions could cause more harm than do good. This study maps all existing literature regarding the impact of COVID‐19 containment measures on the health and healthcare of children in East‐Africa. Methods This scoping review follows Population Concept Context guidelines of Arksey and O’Malley and PRISMA 2020 checklist. PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase were searched. All peer‐reviewed literature published in English between January 2020 and October 2022 was considered. Initial screening of titles and abstracts was undertaken independently by two reviewers, with a third available in case of doubt. This was followed by full‐text screening involving two independent reviewers. Results In total, 70 studies were included. Eight containment measures affecting children's health and healthcare were distinguished: lockdowns, school closures, physical distancing, travel restrictions, business closures, stay‐at‐home orders, curfews, quarantine measures with contact tracing. The consensus in the studies is that containment measures could minimise COVID‐19 spread but have adverse indirect effects on children in East‐Africa. Seven indirect effects were distinguished: economic damage, limited education access, food insecurity, child abuse, limited healthcare access, disrupted health‐programs, and mental health challenges. Conclusion Government leaders and policy makers should take adverse indirect effects of COVID‐19 measures into account, particularly in resource‐limited regions such as East‐Africa, apply a holistic approach, and strengthen socioeconomic and health‐systems to protect the most vulnerable.

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“…Table 2 and Table 3 present the characteristics of these 70 studies 6,10–78 . Scale level: national ( n = 49), regional ( n = 21).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of COVID‐19 measures on the health and healthcare of children in East‐Africa: Scoping review

Salih

Njuguna

Widjajanto

et al. 2023

Health Planning & Management

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“…When investigating the children's exposure to violence, they found that 35% reported abuse and neglect as the main catalyst in leaving home for the streets. Moreover, rapidly increasing urbanisation is thought to contribute to the increasing number, due to the inflation in living costs to beyond that which is affordable for families, forcing children to streets combined with the pull factor of perceived increased economic opportunity (Kakuru et al, 2019;Kawala et al, 2020). However, what is missing within academic literature, is critical examination of the part played by Western actors as a pull factor towards the streets, as this study illuminates.…”

Section: Children Separated From Family In Ugandamentioning

confidence: 89%

“…Evidently, the rights and protection of children on the streets of Uganda are not upheld, despite the ratification of the UNCRC (1989), National Policy on Orphans and Vulnerable Children ([NOVC], UMoGLSD, 2011) and National Alternative Care Framework ([NACF], UMoGLSD, 2012). Attributed to a lack of funding directed towards the implementation of models and programmes aligned with these policies and frameworks which emphasise institutionalisation as a last resort, support for children on the streets is predominantly fulfilled by Western funded NGOs (Kakuru et al, 2019;Kawala et al, 2020). While there are NGO's that comply with national and international policy and legislation underpinned by children's rights and protection, evaluating the approaches taken proves difficult given that the majority of organisations engaging with children are unregistered, and unregulated (Cheney & Rotabi, 2015;Mutenyo et al, 2019;Riley, 2012).…”

Section: Support For Children On the Streetsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is the Mzungu phenomenon a help or hinderance?

Bunyan

2021

IJRBS

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The deprivation, adversity, and lack of protection for children on the streets of urban Uganda are well known; as is the reality that most of their support is facilitated by Western Missionary operated, non-government organisations (NGOs). However, their approach is problematised as ineffective, oppressive, and colonial. Yet there is a dearth of research from the children’s perspectives, capturing the meaning of such actors’ interventions within their lifeworld’s, and no such literature within the Ugandan context. Therefore, this case study focuses on the ‘Mzungu Phenomenon’, a theme unearthed from critical hermeneutic analyses of the life stories of 30 former street children within an orphanage in Kampala, Uganda. The Mzungu phenomenon refers to the meaning and influence of the Western Missionaries and volunteers that feature within the children’s experiences, captured within their narratives. Underpinned by Ricœur’s narrative philosophy, this study illuminates and problematises the way in which Western NGO actors feature within the children’s lifeworld’s, and the wider ramifications from postcolonial, and postcolonial feminist theoretical perspectives. This includes the perpetuation of colonial legacies, ideologies, and praxis, that contribute to disempowerment for children, their families, and their communities, and the dual oppression of women. Therefore, this piece argues that despite a need to enhance child protection measures in Uganda, the current approaches that do not align with national and international rights-based policies must be further critically examined, challenged, and reformed, to ensure the wellbeing of the children.

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“…While the ILO's Child Employment Agreement and the UN Resolution on the Constitutional Law of the Teenager define them as adolescents under the age of 18, Similarly, in this study, a teenager is someone under the age of 18 and not older than that (Efevbera & Bhabha, 2020;Kosher & Ben-Arieh, 2020;Tobin, 2019). Furthermore, UNICEF defines street children as "any individual for whom the street develops habitual abode and source of revenue; and who is ineffectively sheltered, managed, or bound for by accountable olders" (Ibrahim, 2021;Kawala, Kirui, & Cumber, 2020). According to the United Nations Children's Education Fund, these three groups are primarily found in developing countries, with the first group consisting of minors working on the street and the second group living with relatives.…”

Section: Theory and Context Of Street Childrenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experience of the Sexually Abused Street Children. A Case of One of the Cities in Tanzania

Ally¹,

Paul²

2022

JSS

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This study is about the experiences of the sexually abused street children in one of the cities in Tanzania. The study makes use of the data from 34 respondents. A questionnaire, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect data. The findings show that the sexually abused street children have experienced all types of sexual encounters, with rape and sodomy being the common type of sexual abuse. The maximum number of times an individual child has been sexually abused is 9 times and a minimum is at least once, but many were sexually violated multiple times. Contracting infectious diseases and pains and swelling of the genital are the most prevalent effects. In terms of Perceptions on the sexually abused street children, while the social welfare officers and the nurses are neutral, the police are negative. While the services offered at the police gender desk are somehow satisfactory, the post violence services are not user-friendly, and the community virtually offers no support. When the sexually abused street children presented themselves where they were supposed to get some support, generally they did not receive any sort of help.

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Effect of COVID-19 response in Uganda on street children

Cited by 8 publications

References 3 publications

Impact of COVID‐19 measures on the health and healthcare of children in East‐Africa: Scoping review

Impact of COVID‐19 measures on the health and healthcare of children in East‐Africa: Scoping review

Is the Mzungu phenomenon a help or hinderance?

Experience of the Sexually Abused Street Children. A Case of One of the Cities in Tanzania

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