The COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on movement to control the spread of infection are having profound impacts on the income and daily lives of people in low- and middle-income countries, particularly the poor. Governments and donors are responding by expanding social protection programs. Melissa Hidrobo, Neha Kumar, Tia Palermo, Amber Peterman, and Shalini Roy describe […]
The COVID-19 nutrition crisis: What to expect and how to protect
Nutrition has been a development priority for a decade. Many countries have strengthened nutrition policies and programs with some measurable success. Derek Headey and Marie Ruel look at available evidence to show that nutrition progress will be threatened by the COVID-19 crisis, particularly if it persists. To mitigate adverse nutrition impacts, they outline multisectoral nutrition […]
Why gender matters in COVID-19 responses – now and in the future
Controlling the COVID-19 pandemic in low- and middle-income countries will require applying basic health, hygiene, and physical distancing measures well. Daily implementation of these will largely depend on women, but they face many obstacles men do not. Neha Kumar, Agnes Quisumbing, Ruth Meinzen-Dick, and Claudia Ringler provide lessons and evidence on how women can be […]
Earth Day 2020: Lessons for human survival from a pandemic and a global environment under stress
The 50th anniversary of Earth Day (April 22) is falling in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic—a coincidence that should prompt reflection on where we are heading as a species. Earth Day was conceived to make environmental protection the world’s number one priority—at least for a day—and educate people about the environment’s crucial importance for humanity. Should […]
Poverty and food insecurity could grow dramatically as COVID-19 spreads
As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads, social and economic relief measures—including fiscal stimulus and expansion of social safety nets—are crucial to prevent poverty and hunger from rising dramatically in developing countries. Rob Vos, David Laborde and Will Martin estimate this impact globally, finding that over 140 million additional people could fall into extreme poverty in 2020, including […]
