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Good Health and Well-Being
Corona Crisis Causes Turmoil in Financial Markets
This policy brief analyses the impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) on the financial sector and puts forward policy recommendations focusing on how the international community can support countries most in need in four areas: i) launching a large-scale coordinated stimulus package that includes a significant increase in access to concessional financing; ii) strengthening the global financial safety net; iii) initiating a debt moratorium; and iv) in the medium-term building a more sustainable future. These measures should complement other national and international actions to address the health social and economic impact of the crisis.
Cash Transfers and Child Nutrition in Zambia
We examine the effect of the Zambia Child Grant Programme – an unconditional cash transfer (CT) targeted to rural families with children under age five – on height-for-age four years after programme initiation. The CT scheme had large positive effects on several nutritional inputs including food expenditure and meal frequency. However there was no effect on height-for-age. Production function estimates indicate that food carries little weight in the production of child height. Health knowledge of mothers and health infrastructure in the study sites are also very poor. These factors plus the harsh disease environment are too onerous to be overcome by the increases in food intake generated by the CT. In such settings a stand-alone CT even when it has large positive effects on food security is unlikely to have an impact on long-term chronic malnutrition unless accompanied by complementary interventions.
Child Poverty Dynamics and Income Mobility in Europe
COVID-19 and Ending Violence Against Women and Girls
This brief highlights emerging evidence of the impact of the recent global pandemic of COVID-19 (coronavirus) on violence against women and girls. It makes recommendations to be considered by all sectors of society from governments to international organizations and to civil society organizations in order to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls at the onset during and after the public health crisis with examples of actions already taken. It also considers the economic impact of the pandemic and its implications for violence against women and girls in the long-term. It is a living document that draws upon the knowledge and experience of a wide range of experts who support solutions to end violence against women and girls attentive to the country context in which the crisis is occurring
Children and the Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation in Timor-Leste
Ethical Considerations for Evidence Generation Involving Children on the COVID-19 Pandemic
This paper identifies key ethical considerations when undertaking evidence generation involving children during the mitigation stage of the pandemic (emergency phase) on subject matter relating to COVID-19 (Coronavirus) once the pandemic has been contained and once containment policy measures including lockdowns have been lifted (post-emergency phase). While the COVID-19 pandemic is undoubtedly a global crisis with evidence generation activities raising critical ethical issues that have been captured in the literature and relevant guidelines there are specificities relating to this emergency that must be considered when unpacking potential ethical issues. Hence while ethical issues pertaining to evidence generation involving children in emergencies and humanitarian contexts are relevant and should be considered there are factors that define this ‘special case’ that must be considered from the outset. These will inform the core ethical considerations that need to be addressed.
Exploring Critical Issues in the Ethical Involvement of Children with Disabilities in Evidence Generation and Use
This paper provides an overview of the key issues drawn from the literature reviewed and suggests established and potential mitigation strategies that could improve ethical practices when involving children with disabilities in evidence generation activities. More evidence generation activities with this group of children are urgently needed and it is important that conventional and existing ethical practices used with children are further developed to embrace disability inclusion. This will encourage the realization of children’s right to participate and be heard and ensure that policy and practice are informed by the perspectives and concerns of children with disabilities. Importantly this approach can support a wider agenda for the greater inclusion in society of children with disabilities.
Evidence and Gap Map Research Brief 2
This research brief is one of a series of five briefs which provide an overview of available evidence shown in the Campbell Collaboration-UNICEF Mega-Map on the effectiveness of interventions to improve child welfare in low- and middle-income countries. These briefs summarize evidence as mapped against the five goal areas of UNICEF’s 2018–2021 Strategic Plan although it is anticipated that they will also be useful for others working in the child well-being space. This brief provides an overview of the available evidence related to interventions to ensure every child learns.
COVID-19 and Essential Services Provision for Survivors of Violence Against Women and Girls
This brief highlights emerging trends and implications for the provision of essential services (health police and justice social services and coordination of these services) for women and girls who have experienced violence during the current COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. It provides actions taken at the regional national and local levels in partnership with Governments civil society organizations and UN entities. These include promising practices from the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative and pilot and self-starter countries participating in the UN Joint Global Programme on Essential Services for Women and Girls Subject to Violence and rollout of its main guidance the Essential Services Package. It draws upon the knowledge and experience of a wide range of stakeholders who are supporting solutions to end intimate partner violence and other forms of violence against women and girls accounting for the individual country context in which the crisis is occurring. It makes recommendations to be considered by different partners including key line ministries civil society organizations and international organizations who are seeking to improve the quality of and access to coordinated and multi-sectoral services for all women and girls including those who are most marginalized and at increased risk of experiencing violence.
COVID-19 Poses Grievous Economic Challenge to Landlocked Developing Countries
The Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic is increasing the risks of a balance of payments crisis a food crisis and a debt crisis in landlocked developing countries (LLDC). A few LLDCs—with extremely high levels of external debt owed to private creditors—are particularly vulnerable. The unfolding multiple crisis may trigger instability violence and conflict in many LLDCs particularly in countries that have been mired in conflicts and civil wars in recent years. » High levels of income inequality in LLDCs may undermine their ability to implement effective stimulus measures to support the most vulnerable segments of their population. Timely international support is helping LLDCs avoid an immediate crisis but a long-term rescue and recovery plan is needed to steer their economies towards meaningful structural changes.
Data and Indicators to Measure Adolescent Health, Social Development and Well-Being
This brief focuses on quantitative data and indicators to measure adolescent health social development and well-being. It covers: the principles of good indicator definition; common use of indicators; examples of indicators for adolescent health and social development; existing global data to describe - and populate indicators of - adolescent health and social development; and how to improve data collection efforts. The brief is one of seven on research methodologies designed to expand and improve the conduct and interpretation of research on adolescent health and well-being in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Building on the recent Lancet Commission on Adolescent Health and Wellbeing these briefs provide an overview of the methodological quality of research on adolescents. They cover topics including: indicators and data sources; research ethics; research with disadvantaged vulnerable and/or marginalized populations; participatory research; measuring enabling and protective systems for adolescent health; and economic strengthening interventions for improving adolescent well-being.
Evidence and Gap Map Research Brief 10
This research brief is one of a series of briefs which provide an overview of available evidence shown in the Campbell-UNICEF Mega-Map of the effectiveness of interventions to improve child welfare in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). These briefs summarize evidence as mapped against the five goal areas of UNICEF’s 2018–2021 Strategic Plan although it is anticipated that they will also be useful for others working in the child well-being space. This brief provides an overview of the available evidence related to interventions to ensure every child has an equitable chance in life.
Exploring Critical Issues in the Ethical Involvement of Children with Disabilities in Evidence Generation and Use
This research brief details the main ethical challenges and corresponding mitigation strategies identified in the literature with regard to the ethical involvement of children with disabilities in evidence generation activities. Evidence generation activities are defined as per the UNICEF Procedure for Ethical Standards in Research Evaluation Data Collection and Analysis (2015) as research evaluation data collection and analysis. The findings detailed in this summary brief are based on a rapid review of 57 relevant papers identified through an online search using a systematic approach and consultation with experts. There was a paucity of evidence focusing specifically on the ethical challenges of involving children with disabilities in evidence generation activities. The evidence that did exist in this area was found to focus disproportionately on high-income countries with low- and middle-income countries markedly under-represented.
COVID-19: Embracing Digital Government During the Pandemic and Beyond
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) play a vital role in promoting the health and safety of people and in keeping economies and societies working during the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus) crisis. Digital government technologies either through information sharing or online services have kept governments and people connected during the outbreak. Digital technologies have also enabled governments to make rapid policy decisions based on real-time data and analytics to enhance the capacities of local authorities for better coordination and to deploy evidence-based services to those who need them most. The efforts in developing digital government strategies after the COVID-19 crisis should focus on improving data protection and digital inclusion policies as well as on strengthening the policy and technical capabilities of public institutions. Even though public-private partnerships are essential for implementing innovative technologies government leadership strong institutions and effective public policies are crucial to tailor digital solutions to countries’ needs as well as prioritize security equity and the protection of people’s rights. The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the importance of technology but also the pivotal role of an effective inclusive and accountable government. This policy brief addresses how digital government has played a central role as a key tool of communication and collaboration between policymakers and society during the COVID-19 pandemic. Policymakers need to further embrace the future of digital government even when the crisis is over.
Exploring the Late Impact of the Great Recession Using Gallup World Poll Data
Genetic Tracing, Disappeared Children and Justice
Economic Transfers and Social Cohesion in a Refugee-Hosting Setting
There is increasing interest in understanding if social protection has the ability to foster social cohesion particularly between refugees and host communities. Using an experimental evaluation of transfers including cash food and food vouchers to Colombian refugees and poor Ecuadorians in urban and peri-urban areas we examine if transfers resulted in changes in social cohesion measures. The evaluation was a cluster-randomized control trial examining a short-term programme implemented over six months by the World Food Programme. We examine six aggregate dimensions of social cohesion derived from 33 individual indicators in addition to an overall index of social cohesion. Overall results suggest that the programme contributed to integration of Colombians in the hosting community through increases in personal agency attitudes accepting diversity confidence in institutions and social participation. However while having no impact for the Ecuadorian population. There were no negative impacts of the programme on indicators or domains analysed. Although we are not able to specifically identify mechanisms we hypothesize that these impacts are driven by joint targeting messaging around social inclusion and through interaction between nationalities at mandated monthly nutrition trainings.
Exploring Women’s Empowerment through Asset Ownership and Experience of Intimate Partner Violence
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is widespread globally with an estimated one-third of women aged 15 years and over experiencing physical and/or sexual violence at the hands of an intimate partner during their lifetimes. Economic empowerment or the financial standing of women is often thought to protect against IPV signalling sufficient economic autonomy to leave abusive situations or to prevent abuse. Asset ownership is one measure of economic empowerment and can convey substantial agency as a wealth store especially for large productive assets such as agricultural land or home ownership. Despite the important implications of IPV reduction for policy and programming evidence of this relationship is scarce.We hope this research will advance our global understanding of this potential.
Evidence and Gap Map Research Brief 3
This research brief is one of a series of five briefs which provide an overview of available evidence shown in the Campbell Collaboration-UNICEF Mega-Map on the effectiveness of interventions to improve child welfare in low- and middle-income countries. These briefs summarize evidence as mapped against the five goal areas of UNICEF’s 2018–2021 Strategic Plan although it is anticipated that they will also be useful for others working in the child well-being space. This brief provides an overview of the available evidence related to interventions to ensure every child is protected from violence and exploitation.