Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pandemic

This collection and review of evidence aims to illustrate how the COVID-19 crisis triggers disproportionate risks and barriers for men, women, boys and girls with disabilities living in humanitarian settings. It highlights recommendations for humanitarian actors, to enhance inclusive action, aligned with existing guidance and learnings on disability inclusion. It is based on evidence, including testimonies, collected by HI programs in 19 countries of intervention. Special efforts were made to reflect the voices of persons with different types of disabilities, genders and ages, residing in different geographical areas and living circumstances, including refugee and internally displaced persons’ settlements and host communities.

Evidence has been collected through primary data collection among HI teams and partners, working in countries impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in April/May 2020. Data was extracted from assessments conducted by HI and partners in Bangladesh, Egypt, Haïti, Indonesia, Philippines, Jordan, Lebanon, Somaliland and Togo. Testimonies from affected communities, staff and partners were collected in Kenya, Myanmar, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Somaliland, South Sudan, Rwanda, Thailand, Uganda and Yemen.

This guidance is part of a series to provide support during the Covid-19 crisis. The guidance notes include #1- Inclusive Digital learning #2 - Teacher resources and #3 Home support. #4 TV and Radio Learning #5Return to school.

A pictorial based summary of the top 10 tips is provided followed by explanation of the resources and more information about top tips, with hyperlinks of relevant resources.

In the framework of the 2020 High-level Political Forum, the event provided a platform for governments championing disability-inclusive sustainable development. Governments were able to share the measures that they have and will carry out to ensure that the “leave no one behind” and “reach the furthest behind first” will still be achievable despite all the challenges caused by the pandemic. The event also featured diverse testimonies from persons with disabilities, in particular underrepresented groups, sharing their experiences and requests with world leaders in order to rebuild a more disability-inclusive future

In order to investigate whether people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are at higher risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19, the COVID-19 outcomes among people with IDD living in residential groups homes in the state of New York and the general population of New York State were compared. Data for people with IDD are from a coalition of organizations providing over half of the residential services for the state of New York, and from the New York State Department of Health. Analysis describes COVID-19 case rates, case-fatality, and mortality among people with IDD living inresidential group homes and New York State through May 28, 2020

Disability and Health Journal, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2020.100969

While Fiji only had 18 cases of COVID-19, all of whom have recovered, the economic and social outcomes are significant and will be felt for years to come. The closure of international borders led to visitor arrivals contracting significantly by 43.5 percent up to April and the economy is projected to decline by 4.9% in 2020 under COVID-19. The impacts will extend to government revenue, which is expected to decrease by almost 50% in the next financial year.

In addition to the pandemic, Fiji was also struck by Severe Tropical Cyclone Harold on 08 April, causing States of Natural Disaster to be declared for COVID-19 and for TC Harold within the same week. Although Fiji is used to cyclones, prevention and movement restriction measures in place for COVID-19 made it difficult to respond to the trail of destruction left by the Category 4 cyclone. A total of 250 evacuation centers were opened in all four divisions and around 10,000 people were displaced.

The objectives of the Gender, Disability and Inclusion Analysis are:

- To analyse and understand the different impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic and TC Harold potentially have on women, men, girls and boys, people with disabilities and people of diverse SOGIESC and other marginalised groups in Fiji;

- To inform humanitarian programming in Fiji based on the different needs of women, men, boys and girls, people with disabilities and people of diverse SOGIESC with a particular focus on Gender Based Violence (GBV), Health, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Education in Emergencies, Food Security and Livelihoods, and Coping Strategies; and

- To provide recommendations for organisations responding to COVID-19 and TC Harold.

A collection of stories from people with various disabilities across the globe sharing their experiences with the COVID-19 outbreak and pandemic risk reduction strategies implemented by their governments. Some stories are written by IDA and some are external.

Examples are:

• How absence of transport can be fatal: A Story from Uganda
• In Uganda, a Deaf man loses his leg after being shot during curfew
• Voices of Mexico: Disability and COVID-19 | Voces de Mexico: Discapacidad y COVID-19
• COVID-19 in Mexico: the experience of deafblind children told by their mothers (Espanōl)
• Reaching Persons with Deafblindness
• COVID-19 and The Forgotten People (Indonesia)
• When accessible information is far from a reality: Zimbabwe during COVID-19
• The experience of a blind woman in Kenya under COVID-19 outbreak
• Being a single mother of two persons with disabilities under COVID-19 (South Africa)
• Autistic students in South Africa: how has their life changed?
• The Story of Rose Rokiatou: COVID-19 Pandemic and Financial Vulnerability of Persons with Disability in Mali
• COVID-19 in Romania: Life-threatening situations reported
• COVID-19 in Nepal: What are the challenges for indigenous persons with disabilities?
• COVID-19 in India : Technology can be your best friend or worst enemy

Steps are described that support the implementation of mitigation measures to help prevent, reduce and respond to risks of exclusion and/or disproportionate impact on vulnerable groups. The mitigation measures aim to promote the protection of all groups during the pandemic (throughout the various phases of prevention and response) and contribute to alleviating the impact of the changing dynamics on the protection environment of the most vulnerable.

Groups highlighted to be at disproportionate protection risk include internally displaced people (IDPs) in IDP hosting sites, Muhamasheen (marginalized communities), refugees, migrants and asylum seekers, people with disabilities, women and girls

The Persons with Specific Needs (PSN) sub working group is a collective of over 20 organisations including UN agencies, NGOs, Disabled Peoples Organizations (DPOs), and Government (Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development and Office of the Prime Minister) which regularly meets within the Uganda refugee coordination model to discuss issues relevant to refugees with specific needs, with a particular focus on persons with disabilities and older persons.

April 2020 the PSN SWG members started to collect evidence from a range of sources on the specific impact of the COVID-19 crisis and containment measures on PSNs within refugee communities in Uganda.

There has been much work related to the evolution of recovery pathways following critical illness. COVID-19 presents a real opportunity to ensure full implementation of existing hospital and community based rehabilitation services for people recovering from critical illness, and to identify areas requiring further development in the post-COVID-19 era. The Life After Critical Illness (LACI) work stream of the Faculty (of Intensive Care Medicine, UK) was halfway to being delivered when the pandemic struck. This position statement and provisional guidance has been produced to support the pandemic and provide a national framework for future Critical Illness Recovery Services.