DPA COVID19 - Data-Pop Alliance

COVID-19

Global South Response and Recovery – Strategic Vision and Action Plan

Overview

The COVID-19 pandemic is posing, exposing and exacerbating challenges for countries and communities across the Global South that will have global long term repercussions. Responding to the demographic, social, economic, political, and geopolitical impacts and implications of this crisis calls for bold thinking and forceful actions. This is our contribution.

The problem

Growing risk

While the COVID-19 pandemic has primarily affected East Asia, Europe and the United States, the Global South is already experiencing a rising number of cases, especially countries and communities in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East and North Africa, which host 30% of the world’s population.

Exacerbated vulnerability

Despite having younger populations and warmer climates that might lessen the impact of the COVID-19, these regions are particularly vulnerable to the socioeconomic and public health crisis precipitated by the pandemic. In spite of the progress achieved on several fronts in recent decades – bridging inequalities, and reducing poverty – these communities already face severe long-standing challenges, including deficient public health systems, political instability, weak social safety nets, gender imbalances, often weak and distrusted States, refugee and mass migration situations, environmental and resource stress, amongst others.

BLOG. For a detailed picture of the situation developing in Mexico in the midst of a quarantine which forces victims of domestic violence to spend more time with their abusers, please read our article “Domestic violence in Mexico in times of COVID-19“.

Multifold long-term impact

For most countries and communities, large scale testing, social distancing, lockdowns and economic shutdowns won’t be realistic options — or not for long. COVID-19 may bring down entire economies, societies, and families reverting years of efforts and creating conditions for lasting consequences, including increases in poverty, mortality, inequality, and insecurity, with major local, regional and global implications.

Our proposal

We seek to support Global South authorities and societies to respond and recover through a comprehensive and contextualized action plan. Specific projects are currently being developed and will be announced shortly.

Right now you can visit the C-19 Global South Observatory website (monitor for the situation of the pandemic at a political, social and economic level in countries of the Global South) or learn more about our vision and action by reading about the specific products and sub-objectives structured around our three pillars of work.