While COVID hit the elderly in most of the Western world, in developing countries of Southeast Asia, it was women, children and adolescents who suffered most from COVID-19’s effects, BBC reports.
Disruptions in health care services contributed to an estimated 239,000 maternal and child deaths, 228,000 of which were children under 5. Causes included lack of access to crucial services including nutrition benefits. In fact, the number of children treated for severe malnutrition in Bangladesh and Nepal fell by 80%, BBC said.
At least 3.5 million unwanted pregnancies also occurred due to lack of access to contraception.
SOURCE: BBC News March 17, 2021