COVID-19

Public Health

Global Neonatal & Children's Health

Immigrant Health

Health Equity/Social Determinants of Health

Cross-Disciplinary Pathway

Adolescent Medicine

Global Health State-of-the-Art Update Part 1: Direct and Indirect Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Health of Children and Adolescents in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Solutions and Research Priorities

Chair(s)

• 

  Zulfiqar Bhutta, MBBS, PhD

  Co-Director
  Centre for Global Child Health
  The Hospital for Sick Children
  The Hospital for Sick Children
  Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• 

  Suzinne Pak-Gorstein, MD PhD MPH

  Associate Professor in Pediatrics / Affiliate Associate Professor in Global Health
  Pediatrics / Global Health
  University of Washington
  University of Washington
  Seattle, Washington, United States

The coronavirus pandemic threatens low and middle-income countries (LMICs) raising great concern about the direct as well as indirect impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the health and well-being of children and adolescents. Children in LMICs constitute a high proportion of the population and may have a high prevalence of risk factors for severe lower respiratory infection such as HIV or malnutrition. Not only is their physical health impacted by COVID-19, but their countries’ economies and capacity of existing health systems to manage the additional burden are compromised. Further challenges in LMICs include the inability to implement effective public health measures such as social distancing, hand hygiene, timely identification of infected people with self-isolation, and universal use of masks. Finally, significant indirect effects of the pandemic on child health are of considerable concern, including increasing poverty levels, disrupted schooling, lack of access to school feeding schemes, reduced access to health facilities. and interruptions in vaccination and other child health programs.

In this panel, international experts will describe global, country, and local responses to these challenges including community partnerships, stakeholder coalitions, and innovations. Speakers will also outline research priorities and key calls to action for the international community.

Presentations:

• 1:00 PM - 1:05 PM US CT

  Introduction
  

  Presenter: Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, MBBS, PhD – The Hospital for Sick Children
• 1:05 PM - 1:25 PM US CT

  Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children: one year on
  

  Presenter: Michael Levin, FRCPCH PHD – Imperial College London Faculty of Medicine
• 1:25 PM - 1:45 PM US CT

  Direct and Indirect impact of COVID-19 pandemic on children globally, and UNCEF mitigation strategies
  

  Presenter: Luwei Pearson, MBBS, MSc – UNICEF
• 1:45 PM - 2:05 PM US CT

  Covax: Ensuring Equitable Access to COVID-19 Vaccines Globally – Current global updates on challenges and solutions
  

  Presenter: Anuradha Gupta, MBA University of Wollongong, Australia – GAVI - Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations
• 2:05 PM - 2:25 PM US CT

  The Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the role of the Scientific community and Public Health Systems to Protect Child Health: Communication and Pandemic Preparedness
  

  Presenter: Quarraisha Abdool Karim, PhD – Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in South Africa
• 2:25 PM - 2:30 PM US CT

  Discussion
  

  Presenter: Suzinne Pak-Gorstein, MD PhD MPH – University of Washington
• 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM US CT

  Q&A
  

  Presenter: Belinda Thomas