COVID-19 minimum care package for children with disabilities guidance provides background, identifies key risks, risk mitigation measures, and provides links to key resources available to support UNICEF staff and partners in designing a COVID-19 response that is inclusive of children and youth with disabilities.
The guidance has been produced by CBM Australia for UNICEF’s East Asia and the Pacific Regional Office and UNICEF Australia.
Children with disabilities are children first, and are part of the diversity of humanity. It is important to recognise children and youth with disabilities are amongst the most vulnerable populations in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The one billion persons with disabilities globally need to be explicitly taken into account in the COVID-19 response if we are to avoid negative, though unintended, consequences.
Many children and youth with disabilities have an elevated risk of serious illness and death if infected with COVID-19 due to pre-existing health conditions. At the same time, children and youth with disabilities are more likely to be forgotten during COVID-19 response as evidenced by past emergencies. Children and youth with disabilities also experience additional barriers to preventing disease due to inaccessible public health information, and inaccessible WASH facilities. Additionally, people with disabilities may find social distancing unfeasible due to their care requirements.
For more information, go to UNICEF’s Guidance.
