The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) called on African governments, Thursday, August 20, to promote the reopening of schools closed for nearly six months by taking measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. “Unprecedented and prolonged school closures to protect students from Covid-19 are causing them further harm”, estimated the two UN agencies in a joint statement.
WHO and Unicef “Urge African governments to promote the safe reopening of schools while adopting measures to limit the spread of the virus”. “Just as countries safely open businesses, we can reopen schools”, said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. To limit the risks, WHO and Unicef recommend regular hand washing, daily disinfection and cleaning of surfaces, water facilities, or proper waste management.
Children exposed to violence
The consequences of the prolonged interruption of lessons are judged “Important” by the two agencies, which notably cite “Increased exposure to violence and exploitation” and “Child pregnancies”. “Schools have paved the way for success for many Africans” and are “A safe space where many children in difficult circumstances can develop and flourish”, according to Mme Moeti, cited in the document. “The long-term impact of prolonged school closures may further harm children, their futures and their communities.”, said the regional director of Unicef for East and Southern Africa, Mohamed M. Malick Fall.
According to a WHO survey of 39 of Africa’s 54 countries, schools are fully open in six countries, closed in 14 and partially open in nineteen others. As of August 19, Africa recorded a total of 1.148 million cases of Covid-19, with 26,664 deaths, according to the African Union Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
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