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Children of the Syndemic

Year 2021, Volume: 21 Issue: 3, 270 - 274, 14.01.2022

Nick Spencer

https://doi.org/10.26650/jchild.2021.1013093

Abstract

The term syndemic was developed by medical anthropologists to “label the synergistic interaction of two or more coexistent diseases and resultant excess burden of disease.” COVID-19 has exposed and exacerbated societal inequalities among children through differential indirect effects on family financial security, social adversity, mental health, and educational access, among other things. Using a child rights-based approach, the review examines how the syndemic has impacted aspects of the life of children, such as healthcare access, educational access, and family economic circumstances. The examples of the impact of the pandemic and existing inequities, the syndemic, given throughout the review are only a snapshot of the broad effects of the pandemic on the lives of children worldwide. Children have been spared by the worst direct clinical effects of COVID-19, but the indirect effects have been severe. Pediatricians and their organizations can contribute by working with non-governmental organizations and advocating for policy decisions at local, national, and international levels, which protect children from the short- and long-term consequences of the syndemic.

Keywords

syndemic COVID 19 Children

References

  • 1. Singer M, Clair S. Syndemics and public health: reconceptualizing disease in biosocial context. Med Anthropol Q 2003;17(4):423-41. doi: 10.1525/maq.2003.17.4.423 google scholar
  • 2. Horton R. Offline: COVID-19 is not a pandemic. Lancet 2020;396 (10255):874-5. google scholar
  • 3. Blencowe H, Krasevec J, de Onis M, Black RE, An X, Stevens GA, et al. National, regional, and worldwide estimates of low birthweight in 2015, with trends from 2000: a systematic analysis. Lancet Global Health 2019;7:e849-60. google scholar
  • 4. WHO nutrition factsheet 9th July 2021 accessed on 16.10.21 at htps://www.who.int/news-room/fact-heets/detail/malnutrition google scholar
  • 5. UNICEF Progress for Children No.11. Beyond Averages: Learning from the MDGs. New York, UNICEF, 2015. google scholar
  • 6. Spencer N, Raman S, O’Hare B, Tamburlini G. Addressing inequities in child health and development: towards social justice. BMJ PaediatricsO pen2 019;3:e000503.doi:10.1136/bmjpo-2019-000503 google scholar
  • 7. Tokyo Declaration on Universal Health Coverage: all together to accelerate progress towards UHC. Universal Health Coverage Forum 2017. https://www.who.int/universal_health_coverage/ tokyo-decleration-uhc.pdf, accessed 13.10.2021. google scholar
  • 8. WHO/World Bank. Tracking universal health coverage 2017 global monitoring report. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/hand le/10665/259817/9789241513555- eng.pdfaccessed16.10.2021 google scholar
  • 9. Unfinished Business: more than 20 million children in U.S. still lack sufficient access to essential health care. Children’s Health Fund 2016. https://www.childrenshealthfund.org/wp-content/ uploads/2016/11/Unfinished-Business-Final_.pdf, accessed 13.10.2021. google scholar
  • 10. Lutz R. Processes for converting pediatric ICU to COVID-19 care ward. Contagion Infectious Diseases Today 2020. https://www. contagionlive.com/view/fda- underwhelmed-by-johnson-johnson-appeal-for-booster-shot-approval, accessed 13.10.2021. google scholar
  • 11. U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. COVID-19 Brief: Impact on the economies of low-income countries. https://www.usglc.org/ coronavirus/economies-of-developing- countries/, accessed 13.10.2021. google scholar
  • 12. United Nations Development Programme. COVID-19: looming crisis in developing countries threatens to devastate economies and ramp up inequality, 2020, accessed 13.10.2021. google scholar
  • 13. Causey K, Fullman N, Sorensen RJD, Galles NC, Zheng P, Aravkin A, et al. Estimating global and regional disruptions to routine childhood vaccine coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020: a modelling study. Lancet 2021;398(10299):522-34. google scholar
  • 14. Chandir S, Siddiqui DA, Mehmood M, Setayesh H, Siddique M, Mirza A, et al. Impact of COVID 19 response on uptake of routine immunization in Sindh, Pakistan: An analysis of provincial immunization registry data. Vaccine 2020;38:7146-55. google scholar
  • 15. Fenta SM, Fenta HM. Individual and community level determinants of childhood vaccination in Ethiopia. Arch Public Health 2021;79(53):1-11. google scholar
  • 16. Roberts L. Pandemic brings mass vaccinations to a halt. Science 2020;368(3487):116-7. google scholar
  • 17. Nghochuzie NN, Olwal CO, Udoakang AJ, Amenga-Etego LN, Amambua-Ngwa A. Pausing the fight against malaria to combat COVID 19 pandemic in Africa: is the future of malaria bleak? Front. Microbiol 2020;11:1476. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01476 google scholar
  • 18. Fore HH, Ghebreyesus TA, Watkins K, Greenslade L, Berkley S, Bassat Q, et al. Leveraging COVID 19 response to end preventable deaths from child pneumonia. Lancet 2020;396:1709-11. google scholar
  • 19. Ahmed T, Hossain M, Sanin KI. Global burden of maternal and child undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. Ann Nutr Metab 2012;61(suppl 1):8-17. doi: 10.1159/000345165 google scholar
  • 20. Food Research & Action Center. Hunger and Poverty in America. https://frac.org/hunger-poverty-america accessed 16.10.21 google scholar
  • 21. Jenkins RH, Aliabadi S, Vamos EP, Taylor-Robinson D, Wickham S, Millett C, et al. The relationship between austerity and food insecurity in the UK: a systematic review. EClinicalMedicine 2021;33:100781 google scholar
  • 22. Fed to fail? The crisis of children’s diets in early life. UNICEF Child Nutrition report 2021. google scholar
  • 23. Josephson A, Kilic T, Michler JD. Socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 in low-income countries. Nature Human Behaviour 2021;5:557-65. google scholar
  • 24. Osendarp S, Akuoku JK, Black RE, Headey D, Ruel M, Scott N, et al. The COVID-19 crisis will exacerbate maternal and child undernutrition and child mortality in low and middle income countries. Nature Food 2021;2:476-84. google scholar
  • 25. Convention on the rights of the child. https://www.ohchr.org/ documents/professionalinterest/crc.pdf, accessed 10.10.2021 google scholar
  • 26. Humanium. Right to education: situation around the world. (https://www.humanium.org/en/right-to-education/), accessed 10.10.2021 google scholar
  • 27. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). An unfair start; inequality in children’s education in rich countries; 2018. https://www.unicef. org/media/47496/file/%20UNICEF-An-unfair-start-inequality-children-education_En.pdf, accessed 10.10.2021 google scholar
  • 28. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Education and COVID-19. https://data.unicef.org/topic/education/covid-19/, accessed 10.10.2021 google scholar
  • 29. Goudeau S, Sanrey C, Stanczak A, Manstead A, Darnon C. COVID-19 pandemic are likely to increase the social class achievement gap. Nature Human Behaviour 2021; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-021-01212-7 google scholar
  • 30. Rutter M. Categories, dimensions, and the mental health of children and adolescents. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2003;1008:11-21. doi: 10.1196/annals.1301.002 google scholar
  • 31. Kalmakis KA, Chandler GE. Adverse childhood experiences: towards a clear conceptual meaning. J Adv Nurs 2014;70(7):1489-14501. doi: 10.1111/jan.12329 google scholar
  • 32. Hillis SD, Unwin HJ, Chen Y, Cluver L, Sherr L, Goldman PS et al. Global minimum estimates of children affected by COVID-19 associated orphanhood and deaths of caregivers: a modelling study. Lancet 2021;398(10298):391-402. google scholar
  • 33. Pagel C. There is a real danger that COVID-19 will become entrenched as a disease of poverty. BMJ 2021; 373:n986. google scholar
  • 34. Warner G, Nejat S, Marchi J, Spencer N. Reframing the narrative: A scoping review on socioeconomic differences in deaths of family members due to COVID-19 in Sweden and the UK from a child perspective. Submitted for publication google scholar
  • 35. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Child protection and COVID-19. https://data.unicef.org/topic/child-protection/ covid-19/, accessed 10.10.2021 google scholar
  • 36. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Protecting children from violence in the time of COVID-19. Disruptions in prevention and response services. https://data.unicef.org/resources/protecting-children-from-violence-in-the-time-of-covid-19-brochure/, accessed 10.10.2021 google scholar
  • 37. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Child labour: global estimates 2020, trends and the road forward. https://data.unicef. org/resources/child-labour-2020- global-estimates-trends-and-the-road-forward/, accessed 10.10.2021 google scholar
  • 38. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). COVID-19: a threat to progress against child marriage. https://data.unicef.org/resources/ covid-19-a-threat-to-progress- against-child-marriage/, accessed 10.10.2021 google scholar
  • 39. International Society for Social Pediatrics and Child Health (ISSOP), International Pediatric Association (IPA), International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN). Violence against children of the world: Burden, consequences and recommendations for action. https://www.issop.org/2017/11/19/ position-statement-violence-children/, accessed 10.10.2021 google scholar

Children of the Syndemic

Year 2021, Volume: 21 Issue: 3, 270 - 274, 14.01.2022

Nick Spencer

https://doi.org/10.26650/jchild.2021.1013093

Abstract

The term syndemic was developed by medical anthropologists to “label the synergistic interaction of two or more coexistent diseases and resultant excess burden of disease.” COVID-19 has exposed and exacerbated societal inequalities among children through differential indirect effects on family financial security, social adversity, mental health, and educational access, among other things. Using a child rights-based approach, the review examines how the syndemic has impacted aspects of the life of children, such as healthcare access, educational access, and family economic circumstances. The examples of the impact of the pandemic and existing inequities, the syndemic, given throughout the review are only a snapshot of the broad effects of the pandemic on the lives of children worldwide. Children have been spared by the worst direct clinical effects of COVID-19, but the indirect effects have been severe. Pediatricians and their organizations can contribute by working with non-governmental organizations and advocating for policy decisions at local, national, and international levels, which protect children from the short- and long-term consequences of the syndemic.

Keywords

Syndemic COVID 19 Children

References

  • 1. Singer M, Clair S. Syndemics and public health: reconceptualizing disease in biosocial context. Med Anthropol Q 2003;17(4):423-41. doi: 10.1525/maq.2003.17.4.423 google scholar
  • 2. Horton R. Offline: COVID-19 is not a pandemic. Lancet 2020;396 (10255):874-5. google scholar
  • 3. Blencowe H, Krasevec J, de Onis M, Black RE, An X, Stevens GA, et al. National, regional, and worldwide estimates of low birthweight in 2015, with trends from 2000: a systematic analysis. Lancet Global Health 2019;7:e849-60. google scholar
  • 4. WHO nutrition factsheet 9th July 2021 accessed on 16.10.21 at htps://www.who.int/news-room/fact-heets/detail/malnutrition google scholar
  • 5. UNICEF Progress for Children No.11. Beyond Averages: Learning from the MDGs. New York, UNICEF, 2015. google scholar
  • 6. Spencer N, Raman S, O’Hare B, Tamburlini G. Addressing inequities in child health and development: towards social justice. BMJ PaediatricsO pen2 019;3:e000503.doi:10.1136/bmjpo-2019-000503 google scholar
  • 7. Tokyo Declaration on Universal Health Coverage: all together to accelerate progress towards UHC. Universal Health Coverage Forum 2017. https://www.who.int/universal_health_coverage/ tokyo-decleration-uhc.pdf, accessed 13.10.2021. google scholar
  • 8. WHO/World Bank. Tracking universal health coverage 2017 global monitoring report. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/hand le/10665/259817/9789241513555- eng.pdfaccessed16.10.2021 google scholar
  • 9. Unfinished Business: more than 20 million children in U.S. still lack sufficient access to essential health care. Children’s Health Fund 2016. https://www.childrenshealthfund.org/wp-content/ uploads/2016/11/Unfinished-Business-Final_.pdf, accessed 13.10.2021. google scholar
  • 10. Lutz R. Processes for converting pediatric ICU to COVID-19 care ward. Contagion Infectious Diseases Today 2020. https://www. contagionlive.com/view/fda- underwhelmed-by-johnson-johnson-appeal-for-booster-shot-approval, accessed 13.10.2021. google scholar
  • 11. U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. COVID-19 Brief: Impact on the economies of low-income countries. https://www.usglc.org/ coronavirus/economies-of-developing- countries/, accessed 13.10.2021. google scholar
  • 12. United Nations Development Programme. COVID-19: looming crisis in developing countries threatens to devastate economies and ramp up inequality, 2020, accessed 13.10.2021. google scholar
  • 13. Causey K, Fullman N, Sorensen RJD, Galles NC, Zheng P, Aravkin A, et al. Estimating global and regional disruptions to routine childhood vaccine coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020: a modelling study. Lancet 2021;398(10299):522-34. google scholar
  • 14. Chandir S, Siddiqui DA, Mehmood M, Setayesh H, Siddique M, Mirza A, et al. Impact of COVID 19 response on uptake of routine immunization in Sindh, Pakistan: An analysis of provincial immunization registry data. Vaccine 2020;38:7146-55. google scholar
  • 15. Fenta SM, Fenta HM. Individual and community level determinants of childhood vaccination in Ethiopia. Arch Public Health 2021;79(53):1-11. google scholar
  • 16. Roberts L. Pandemic brings mass vaccinations to a halt. Science 2020;368(3487):116-7. google scholar
  • 17. Nghochuzie NN, Olwal CO, Udoakang AJ, Amenga-Etego LN, Amambua-Ngwa A. Pausing the fight against malaria to combat COVID 19 pandemic in Africa: is the future of malaria bleak? Front. Microbiol 2020;11:1476. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01476 google scholar
  • 18. Fore HH, Ghebreyesus TA, Watkins K, Greenslade L, Berkley S, Bassat Q, et al. Leveraging COVID 19 response to end preventable deaths from child pneumonia. Lancet 2020;396:1709-11. google scholar
  • 19. Ahmed T, Hossain M, Sanin KI. Global burden of maternal and child undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. Ann Nutr Metab 2012;61(suppl 1):8-17. doi: 10.1159/000345165 google scholar
  • 20. Food Research & Action Center. Hunger and Poverty in America. https://frac.org/hunger-poverty-america accessed 16.10.21 google scholar
  • 21. Jenkins RH, Aliabadi S, Vamos EP, Taylor-Robinson D, Wickham S, Millett C, et al. The relationship between austerity and food insecurity in the UK: a systematic review. EClinicalMedicine 2021;33:100781 google scholar
  • 22. Fed to fail? The crisis of children’s diets in early life. UNICEF Child Nutrition report 2021. google scholar
  • 23. Josephson A, Kilic T, Michler JD. Socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 in low-income countries. Nature Human Behaviour 2021;5:557-65. google scholar
  • 24. Osendarp S, Akuoku JK, Black RE, Headey D, Ruel M, Scott N, et al. The COVID-19 crisis will exacerbate maternal and child undernutrition and child mortality in low and middle income countries. Nature Food 2021;2:476-84. google scholar
  • 25. Convention on the rights of the child. https://www.ohchr.org/ documents/professionalinterest/crc.pdf, accessed 10.10.2021 google scholar
  • 26. Humanium. Right to education: situation around the world. (https://www.humanium.org/en/right-to-education/), accessed 10.10.2021 google scholar
  • 27. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). An unfair start; inequality in children’s education in rich countries; 2018. https://www.unicef. org/media/47496/file/%20UNICEF-An-unfair-start-inequality-children-education_En.pdf, accessed 10.10.2021 google scholar
  • 28. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Education and COVID-19. https://data.unicef.org/topic/education/covid-19/, accessed 10.10.2021 google scholar
  • 29. Goudeau S, Sanrey C, Stanczak A, Manstead A, Darnon C. COVID-19 pandemic are likely to increase the social class achievement gap. Nature Human Behaviour 2021; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-021-01212-7 google scholar
  • 30. Rutter M. Categories, dimensions, and the mental health of children and adolescents. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2003;1008:11-21. doi: 10.1196/annals.1301.002 google scholar
  • 31. Kalmakis KA, Chandler GE. Adverse childhood experiences: towards a clear conceptual meaning. J Adv Nurs 2014;70(7):1489-14501. doi: 10.1111/jan.12329 google scholar
  • 32. Hillis SD, Unwin HJ, Chen Y, Cluver L, Sherr L, Goldman PS et al. Global minimum estimates of children affected by COVID-19 associated orphanhood and deaths of caregivers: a modelling study. Lancet 2021;398(10298):391-402. google scholar
  • 33. Pagel C. There is a real danger that COVID-19 will become entrenched as a disease of poverty. BMJ 2021; 373:n986. google scholar
  • 34. Warner G, Nejat S, Marchi J, Spencer N. Reframing the narrative: A scoping review on socioeconomic differences in deaths of family members due to COVID-19 in Sweden and the UK from a child perspective. Submitted for publication google scholar
  • 35. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Child protection and COVID-19. https://data.unicef.org/topic/child-protection/ covid-19/, accessed 10.10.2021 google scholar
  • 36. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Protecting children from violence in the time of COVID-19. Disruptions in prevention and response services. https://data.unicef.org/resources/protecting-children-from-violence-in-the-time-of-covid-19-brochure/, accessed 10.10.2021 google scholar
  • 37. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Child labour: global estimates 2020, trends and the road forward. https://data.unicef. org/resources/child-labour-2020- global-estimates-trends-and-the-road-forward/, accessed 10.10.2021 google scholar
  • 38. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). COVID-19: a threat to progress against child marriage. https://data.unicef.org/resources/ covid-19-a-threat-to-progress- against-child-marriage/, accessed 10.10.2021 google scholar
  • 39. International Society for Social Pediatrics and Child Health (ISSOP), International Pediatric Association (IPA), International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN). Violence against children of the world: Burden, consequences and recommendations for action. https://www.issop.org/2017/11/19/ position-statement-violence-children/, accessed 10.10.2021 google scholar
There are 39 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Paediatrics
Journal Section Review
Authors

Nick Spencer 0000-0003-2748-6349

Publication Date January 14, 2022
Published in Issue Year 2021 Volume: 21 Issue: 3

Cite

APA Spencer, N. (2022). Children of the Syndemic. Çocuk Dergisi, 21(3), 270-274. https://doi.org/10.26650/jchild.2021.1013093
AMA Spencer N. Children of the Syndemic. Çocuk Dergisi. January 2022;21(3):270-274. doi:10.26650/jchild.2021.1013093
Chicago Spencer, Nick. “Children of the Syndemic”. Çocuk Dergisi 21, no. 3 (January 2022): 270-74. https://doi.org/10.26650/jchild.2021.1013093.
EndNote Spencer N (January 1, 2022) Children of the Syndemic. Çocuk Dergisi 21 3 270–274.
IEEE N. Spencer, “Children of the Syndemic”, Çocuk Dergisi, vol. 21, no. 3, pp. 270–274, 2022, doi: 10.26650/jchild.2021.1013093.
ISNAD Spencer, Nick. “Children of the Syndemic”. Çocuk Dergisi 21/3 (January 2022), 270-274. https://doi.org/10.26650/jchild.2021.1013093.
JAMA Spencer N. Children of the Syndemic. Çocuk Dergisi. 2022;21:270–274.
MLA Spencer, Nick. “Children of the Syndemic”. Çocuk Dergisi, vol. 21, no. 3, 2022, pp. 270-4, doi:10.26650/jchild.2021.1013093.
Vancouver Spencer N. Children of the Syndemic. Çocuk Dergisi. 2022;21(3):270-4.
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