COVID-19 would jeopardise all gains made in child heath and education: World Bank

Adding to the already existing warnings, the World Bank has now said that COVID-19 pandemic threatens all the progress made in the field of child health and education over the last decade. Basing the conclusion on the recently released Human Capital Index, the Washington based lender emphasised that poorer countries would be affected more than others. The organisation also claimed that the pandemic would not only jeopardise development but also flare the difference between privileged and underprivileged children.

'COVID would jeopardise all gains' 

As per the Human Capital Index, which ranks nations on the basis of how well prepared are their children for the future, most countries have made steady progress in the field of education and healthcare prior ot the pandemic. However, the pandemic would jeopardise all the gains, World Bank President David Malpass asserted.

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As per the bank, a child in a low-income country will likely achieve only 56 per cent of their human capital compared to one with access to a complete education and full healthcare due to the crisis. The indicator purports to measure the level in life that a child born today can hope to reach by age 18. Meanwhile, addressing a press briefing, Malpass warned against of a surge in inequalities amongst  children in coming days adding that there were as many as eighty million children lacking essential vaccinations.

"We think more than one billion children have been out of school due to Covid, and they could lose as much as $10 trillion in lifetime earnings," the WB head added citing reduced education level. Talking about gender ineuquality, he added that girls at a “disproportionate“ risk and called for countries to increase their investment in education field.

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(Image credits: AP/Representative)