Wednesday, 17 March 2021, 7:10 pm
Disruptions in health services due to COVID-19 “may
have contributed to an additional 239,000 child and maternal
deaths in South Asia” - New UN report
Health
services must urgently be restored and strengthened to
contain the pandemic’s impact on the most vulnerable
families
Kathmandu/Bangkok/New Delhi, 17 March
2021: Drastic cuts in the availability and use of essential
public health services across South Asia due to COVID-19 may
have contributed to an estimated 228,000 additional child
deaths in 2020, according to a new United Nations report.
Around 11,000 additional maternal deaths are also
expected.
Clinics and other health facilities have
been closed and many vital health and nutrition programmes