Letters to the editor

Suffer the children

You looked at how covid-19 will affect the mental health and psychosocial well-being of vast swathes of society (“Only connect”, April 4th). However, you barely mentioned children and their caregivers. For most children there is no school, no meet-ups, no sports activities. Many also have to live through the severe distress of parents losing jobs, getting sick and feeling helpless. Even without a pandemic, 10-20% of children and adolescents worldwide experience mental disorders, with half beginning by the age of 14.

We know that covid-19 will have a lasting, though dangerously invisible, impact on children and their families. The longer this outbreak lasts, and the more restrictive response measures are, the deeper the effect will be on children’s learning, behaviour and emotional and social development. Now, more than ever, UNICEF is calling for collective action among governments, donors, and practitioners to address the complex and varying mental-health and psychosocial needs of children and families. This starts with listening to children’s concerns and prioritising their needs both in the short and long term.

HENRIETTA FORE
Executive director
UNICEF
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