PAHO says children need to get back in classrooms

Children remain at greatest risk amid a significant surge in COVID-19 cases across the Americas, the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) warned on Wednesday.

PAHO Director Dr Carissa Etienne expressed concern that children are facing “the worst educational crisis that we have seen in the region”, with millions of them yet to return to the classroom.

Insisting that virtual learning cannot replace in-person learning, she told her weekly press briefing: “And with each day that children go without in-person schooling, the greater likelihood that they drop out and never return to school.”

“Get them safely back to school to protect their social, mental and health wellbeing,” she stressed, adding that schools are safe havens for children to learn, socialise, receive mental health support and get a nutritious meal.

Dr Etienne called on Ministries of Health, Education, and Social Protection to work together “to bring as many of our children as possible back to school safely”.

She noted that PAHO has published detailed guidelines to facilitate the return to in-person learning, and by promoting mask-wearing and social distancing and ensuring adequate ventilation, countries can safely reopen schools.

Barbadian authorities have identified February 21 as the date for the phased return of face-to-face classes, but talks have been continuing between officials from the Ministry of Health and Education to fine-tune arrangements.

In addition to the prolonged closure of schools, Dr Etienne lamented that millions of children are missing out on routine vaccinations, and as a result, some diseases were re-emerging.

“Countries are seeing outbreaks of diseases that for years had been under control,”  the top PAHO official said, citing measles in Brazil and diphtheria in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Dr Etienne urged parents and caretakers to take their children to routine medical appointments and called on countries to ensure these services are “open and available”.

“Countries must see routine immunisations for what they are: essential. These services were critical before the pandemic and they remain central to our COVID responses, so our children don’t fall further at risk,” she said.

Turning to the COVID-19 situation in the region, PAHO reported that new COVID-19 infections in the Americas have reached their highest level since the pandemic began and the highly contagious Omicron variant was now the predominant strain in the region.

Dr Etienne said more than eight million new COVID-19 cases were reported in the Americas during the past week, a 32 per cent increase than the previous week.

Some 18,000 deaths were also reported, a 37 per cent increase over the same time period.

Belize reported the highest rates of new infections in Central America and in the Caribbean, significant surges in infections were reported in Haiti and Martinique.
(BT/PAHO)