The document summarizes evidence from a rapid review on the impacts of pandemics and epidemics on child protection. The review found that health crises can lead to various adverse child protection outcomes, both directly through outcomes like orphanhood, and indirectly through increased poverty and reductions in access to services. The effects are often most severe for vulnerable children. The review identified a need for more rigorous research on the causal links between disease outbreaks and child protection, and for broadening the evidence geographically beyond Africa. It recommends responses that support at-risk children and maintain access to services during outbreaks.

1. Impacts of Pandemics & Epidemics
on Child Protection
Lessons learned from a rapid review in the context of COVID-19
Ramya Subrahmanian, UNICEF Innocenti

2. Background
Adverse consequences of COVID-19 and control
measures for: children’s development, safety,
well-being, protection from harm, abuse, and
violence
Learn from previous pandemics and epidemics
Rapid review synthesizes evidence on child
protection impacts of previous health crises and
lessons for COVID-19
for every child, answers

3. What are the effects of
pandemics and epidemics on
child protection outcomes?

4. What are the effects of
pandemics and epidemics
infection control measures on
child protection outcomes?

5. How do the effects of pandemics
and epidemics and their infection
control measures vary for children
and adolescents in vulnerable
circumstances or at risk?

10. In the review
6,000 studies checked
53 studies met the scope
• 16 systematic reviews
• 16 non-systematic reviews
• 22 cross-sectional studies
Evidence overwhelmingly
focused on HIV/AIDS in
sub-Saharan Africa and
Ebola in West Africa
for every child, answers

11. Limitations
Pandemics and epidemics are unique
COVID-19 unprecedented in its global coverage
Limitations to generalizability and applicability
for every child, answers

12. Findings
Outcomes multi-layered with immediate and intermediate outcomes
• Being orphaned
• Stigmatization and discrimination
• Reductions in household income
• Illness or death of breadwinners
• Child work
• Early marriage for girls
• Early and adolescent pregnancy
• Child abuse
• Sexual violence
• Access to services affected
for every child, answers

13. Policy Recommendations
• Respond to children in vulnerable circumstances
e.g. psychosocial interventions
• Respond to stigmatization and discrimination
e.g. information campaigns
• Invest in social protection
• Promote access to health, protective, and
justice services
• Ensure continued access to education, and
support return to school
for every child, answers

14. Primary Research Recommendations
• Rigorous retrospective studies to investigate causal links between exposure to health
crises and child protection outcomes.
• Reinforce monitoring, evidence, and learning Pre-existing programmes present
opportunities to conduct pre- and post-outbreak studies. Longitudinal data provides
baseline data and infrastructure to quickly collect data.
• Rigorous remote qualitative research when feasible. Strong burden of proof for data
collection.
• Focus on children and adolescents in vulnerable circumstances
• Broaden geographic focus expand evidence base beyond Sub-Saharan Africa and West
Africa. Retrospective studies, e.g. SARS, MERS, H1N1, COVID-19 in Asia and Latin
America.
for every child, answers

15. Secondary Research & Synthesis
• Robust analysis drawing on administrative data provide robust
statistical evidence through econometric analysis of the socio-economic
impacts of COVID-19.
• Deep dives into evidence on HIV/AIDS limited synthesis on impacts of
HIV/AIDS on child protection outcomes, including child labour, unpaid
care
• Synthesis of evidence on interventions to reduce child protection
risks collate evidence to strengthen recommendations and the evidence-
base
for every child, answers

16. Thank you