GCRF_NF391 Maximising benefit and minimising the harm of COVID-19 control measures on child and women's health in four Sub-Saharan African countries

COVID-19在各地都具有挑战性，因为许多控制疾病的措施也产生了负面影响。撒哈拉以南非洲的情况尤其如此，那里的卫生系统资源相对不足，贫困率很高，而且各国必须同时应对艾滋病毒/艾滋病、结核病、疟疾和营养不良等其他卫生挑战。我们之前进行的研究显示，卫生系统中断和其他意外伤害的有力证据。令人关切的问题包括学校关闭的影响、家庭粮食收入减少、粮食安全恶化、疫苗接种覆盖率下降以及某些COVID-19控制措施对女孩和妇女健康的影响更大。我们还发现各国采取不同的方法和行动来控制COVID-19。基于这些发现，我们打算：1）描述和评估COVID-19和COVID-19控制措施对加纳、坦桑尼亚、乌干达和津巴布韦卫生系统运作、儿童健康和妇女健康的影响; 2）确定如何改进COVID-19控制措施;（3）使各国能够分享经验教训和信息。主要交付成果将是：- 一套国家案例研究报告，其中纳入了关于COVID-19控制措施如何影响儿童和女童/妇女健康的新知识，并就如何更好地保护儿童和妇女提出了建议;- 一份报告，描述了四个国家为控制COVID-19而采取的不同方法和策略，并就如何进行研究和利用证据来加强未来的政策制定和执行提出建议。这些报告将成为简短的政策简报的基础，该项目还将提供：-一系列国内利益攸关方讨论和会议，并为跨国对话创造机会;-一个合作研究网络，将为今后的研究奠定基础。这里提议的活动和产出将补充政府机构和非政府组织（包括儿童基金会、拯救儿童联盟和人口基金）促进和保护儿童和妇女健康的努力。它将确定关键的知识差距和进一步研究的优先事项，包括深入的流行病学研究，干预研究和深入的社会科学调查。

COVID-19 is challenging everywhere because many of the measures to control the disease also produce negative effects. This is especially the case in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where health systems are relatively under-resourced, where poverty rates are high, and where countries have to simultaneously deal with other health challenges such as those presented by HIV/AIDS, TB, diarrhoeal disease, malaria and malnutrition. Previous research conducted by ourselves has shown strong anecdotal evidence of health systems disruption and other unintended harms. Concerns include the effects of school closures, reduced household food income, worsening food security, reduced vaccination coverage rates and the effects of certain COVID-19 control measures having a worse impact on the health of girls and women. We also found countries adopting different approaches and actions to control COVID-19.Building upon these findings, we intend to: 1) describe and evaluate the impact of COVID-19 and COVID-19 control measures on health systems functioning, child health and women's health in Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe; 2) identify how COVID-19 control measures can be improved; and 3) enable the sharing of lessons and information across countries. The main deliverables will be: - a set of country case study reports incorporating new knowledge about how COVID-19 control measures impact on the health of children and girls/women, with recommendations for how children and women may be better protected; - a report describing the different approaches and strategies taken to control COVID-19 across the four countries, with recommendations on how research and evidence can be produced and harnessed to strengthen future policy making and implementation These reports will form the basis for shorter policy briefs, lay summaries and peer-reviewed publications.The project will also deliver:- a series of in-country stakeholder discussions and meetings and establish opportunities for cross-country dialogue;- a collaborative research network that will set the foundations for future research studies. The activities and outputs proposed here will complement the efforts of government agencies and non-governmental organisations (including UNICEF, Save the Children and UNFPA) working to promote and protect child and women's health. And it will identify critical knowledge gaps and priorities for further research, including in-depth epidemiological studies, intervention studies and in-depth social science inquiries.