COVID-19’s toll on youth in Southeast Asia (The Diplomat)

The Diplomat published an article stating that COVID-19 infections are spiking across the region and that young people are likely to be disproportionately affected over the long term. Other health issues are taking their toll, too. Unwanted pregnancies, especially in families that cannot afford to care for a child, could exacerbate other ongoing health challenges faced by children in the region, including stunting and malnutrition. A 2020 IFPRI study conducted in Myanmar predicted that more than 111,000 children could become wasted – a severe form of malnutrition – from the pandemic’s combined economic and health impacts, leading to a higher rate of under-five childhood mortality.