News

31st March, 2020, Kigali – Governments and communities must act now to ensure that millions of vulnerable children do not lose out on their education as schools close their gates to try and contain the Coronavirus outbreak, warns Save the Children. More than 120 countries have already introduced nation-wide school and university closures affecting nearly three-quarters of the world’s student population – an estimated 1.2 billion learners – according to UNESCO. That number is expected to rise as the Coronavirus looks set to spread further.

LONDON, March 27, 2020 – Swift action to contain the spread of coronavirus would save at least three million lives in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia according to new research from Imperial College, but this prediction understates the number of lives at stake, warns Save the Children. The Imperial College modelling compares different scenarios for the Covid-19 response. The first is early and decisive action to test and isolate cases, promote social distancing, and treat affected populations. This predicts 800,000 deaths. Delayed action increases that figure to almost four million deaths.

As the number of Covid-19 cases across the African continent rose dramatically this week, health systems that serve some of the most vulnerable and marginalised children and families in the world will come under ever-increasing strain, warns Save the Children. There are now at least 2,412 confirmed cases[i] across 43 countries in Africa - an increase of more than 500 per cent since 17 March[ii] - with only nine countries without a confirmed case.