The other Pandemics.

Photo by Laura Vilela

Far were the days when things were considered “normal.” Nothing seems normal at the moment. Half of the world is on lockdown: stores are closed, airplanes don’t take-off, schools are silent, people are not cursing in traffic, the breaking news does not change, and beaches are not crowded (or they shouldn’t be). This is far from what we were used to.

Still, issues that were being taken as urgent before don’t look important anymore. Don’t get me wrong. I’m worried, scared and anxious about the whole situation. People dying. National health services collapsing. Health professionals burning out. The scarce of protective equipment. Crowds going to the beaches. Enough is enough. And I’m getting tired of the virus. 

António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, alerts for the terrible scenarios that worsen with the pandemic. “Many women under lockdown for covid-19 face violence where they should be safest: in their own homes.” Marianne Hester, a sociologist, was expecting the hard reality, because domestic violence increases when families spend more time together, like at Christmas and Summer holidays.

We can't forget the importance of "testing" the abusers and keeping the victims in isolation from the "virus". This pandemic already existed before covid-19 and must be dealt with.

In Spain, one of the most affected countries until the moment has already seen an alarming increase in gender violence calls and online consultation. China and Italy reported the same. The Portuguese Government and gender-violence associations are launching campaigns to prevent what is happening in many other countries, like opening new emergency shelter houses to protect the victims, but that might not be enough.

Another pandemic that is spreading with the virus is child malnutrition. With the school shut down, many that once were dependent on canteens to get their meals, are at home. As important as it is to distribute protective equipment, we can’t forget these children from getting access to vital necessities. Fortunately, some countries are acting fast, delivering food or voucher to the affected ones.

At the moment, we have not seen the disease reach some of the world’s poor countries. But Rose, a nutrition adviser in WFP (world food program), alerts for the disaster that might spread if the food prices rise in those countries, where half of the population can’t afford proper nutrition.

“If you give people food for three months then they won’t come back for three months, reinforcing the social distancing”. But this measure requires funds and urgent action.

I urge you to help these people, using the WFP app — Share The Meal. With 0,40$ you can feed one child for one day. Or through the Gates Foundation.

The world’s richest countries in the world are struggling to handle the virus. What can we expect from countries with one ventilator for a population of 10 million, that report high-rates of mortality from diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, and cholera?  

“There are always two sides of the same coin.”
Unfortunately, I believe there are more than two sides to this global pandemic, and they all deserve equal care.