Addressing the secondary impacts of COVID-19 in Africa
The socio-economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have left millions of people in Africa without means to ensure their basic livelihood and health.
The Danish Red Cross is addressing the acute humanitarian needs as well as the long-term impacts of COVID-19 in Africa.
Where we work
- Burkina Faso
- Ethiopia
- Kenya
- Malawi
- Mali
- Niger
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Zimbabwe
Livelihoods
Quarantines, bans and restrictions of movements of goods and people have had significant socio-economic repercussions the livelihoods of African people living in poverty
In many African countries, these restrictions have led to disruption of local markets and supply chains for trade of agricultural and non-agricultural products, with significant impacts on the populations that depend on them for livelihoods, food and nutrition security. With food prices soaring, this health crisis has turned into an economic and food crisis for many as families across the region lose their only source of income due to this crisis.
Many are working in the informal sector, without social protection mechanisms in place and thus vulnerable to these changes.
Community Inclusion Currency
Community Inclusion Currencies (CICs) are a blockchain-based disaster response and recovery solution, that enables communities to create and trade digital tokens for essential goods and services. CICs improve risk communication for health workers, traceability of aid for donors, and resilience for vulnerable populations. CICs have been distributed in 70 villages, including Mukuru and Mombasa in Kenya.
See our video on CIC if you want to know more or read more here.
Safe Delivery App
The safe delivery app is used in Guinea by healthcare workers as a handbook when consulting pregnant women or handling a delivery to ensure quality and build trust to the local community, which is likely to decrease after a pandemic. A COVID-19 module has been developed within the app to inform healthcare workers on how to handle safe deliveries during a pandemic.
Health
COVID-19 preparedness and response mechanisms in various countries have stretched an already over-burdened health sector in Africa. Health care workers have been overwhelmed and other critical services such as immunization programmes, maternity care, and childcare services have not received the needed attention, while many have avoided to seek the needed medical support due to fear of COVID-19.
Danish Red Cross in Africa has throughout the pandemic raised awareness about COVID-19 prevention and protection measures, as well as about the importance of immunization programmes and continuous support for people living with non-communicable diseases and safe deliveries.
It is key to find a balance between responding to COVID-19 while also ensuring access to other basic health services for people, including displaced populations, across the African continent.
Mental Health & Psychosocial Support
During the COVID-19 crisis many people have lost their jobs, incomes have vanished, and people are scared not only for their health but for their ability to provide for their families.
Preventive COVID-19 measures put in place by governments, including lockdowns, quarantine, physical distancing, and the subsequent consequences further increase the risk of mental health problems. This calls for the need of integrated measures to address mental health and psychosocial support needs across humanitarian response, alongside long-term investments in local and community-based mental health and psychosocial support capacity and system-building.
Danish Red Cross in Africa is working to ensure early and effective access to mental health and psychosocial support during the pandemic.
Kassala Safe House
At Kassala Safe House in Sudan, we are enhancing the mental health and well-being of residents through psychosocial activities. During COVID-19, the global suspension of resettlement was highly stressful. Residents have been making hand sanitizers and soap for distribution.
Assistance to Returnees
In Ethiopia, we help returnees resettle in their communities. We provide psychosocial support in our safe spaces and enable livelihood opportunities. During COVID-19, we also assist returnees in quarantine.
Migration
Due to their living conditions, many migrants and displaced people are not able to comply with preventive measures to keep healthy and stay safe and lack access to appropriate care.
In addition, stigma and discrimination has led to social isolation and thus prevented migrants from seeking assistance. Some find themselves stranded as a result of closed borders, others in transit, facing both formal and informal barriers.
Many migrants have experienced loss of jobs, income and livelihoods. The COVID-19 crisis thus consists of a threefold crisis for people on the move; a health crisis, a socio-economic crisis and a protection crisis. Danish Red Cross in Africa has through existing programs supported migrants during the pandemic, through livelihood support, health services, and psychosocial support.
Early Warning
Whilst many organizations faced challenges with closed borders and travel restrictions, Red Cross is able to reach the furthest corners through the local branch and volunteer network, and the value of a strong local presence has never proven more valuable.
Volunteers on the ground continue to engage in the community-based surveillance and outbreak response. Community-based surveillance enables us to detect and control new health issues and outbreaks early on and respond by enganging the community.
Danish Red Cross in Africa is not only following the trends in COVID-19 throughout the continent, but also forecasting disasters like floods and droughts, and through Forecast-based Action ensuring support even before the disasters hit.
Forecast-based Action
Forecast-based Action is an early warning system that uses meteorological and risk exposure data to forecast disasters. Forecast-based Action enables us to anticipate and trigger funds for preparedness measures before the next drought or flooding.
January 2021 – Danish Red Cross Regional Office in Africa
For more information please visit www.facebook.com/DRKafrica or send an e-mail to DRCAfrica@rodekors.dk