scholarly journals Multifold Impact of COVID-19 on Vulnerable Communities in Nepal

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 125-147
Author(s):  
Padma Prasad Khatiwada

This paper brings out the pressing issue of Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic and its multifold impact on the vulnerable communities such as women, children, elderly people, persons with disabilities, and marginalized groups in Nepal. The study identifies the groups corresponding with the kinds of problems and effects in relation to caste/ethnicity, gender, and age. It also categorizes groups in terms of socio-economic conditions such as employment, income, livelihood, access to basic food, shelter, health and education. The analyses based on these issues contribute to highlighting the protection measures for reducing the level of vulnerability. Both the primary and secondary data were collected through desk review and telephonic interviews among the selected women and underprivileged people of the study area. Findings of this study suggest that the pandemic has serious effects that have been seen on vulnerable communities in the area. Curtailment, reduction and/or stop of regular salary or income of the employees from enterprising sectors can have lasting impact on the overall livelihoods of the vulnerable groups unless they are offered special packages to promote their conditions. The research indicates the pandemic as a humanitarian crisis. In such a crisis, only legal treatment and actions may have adverse effects on the poor and helpless people who have lost their resources due to unavoidable situations like lockdown, prohibition order, and insecurity of their jobs.

Author(s):  
Bethuel Ngcamu ◽  
Evangelos Mantzaris

Background: The economically vulnerable population, mostly black, especially those who are residing in precarious informal settlements are most susceptible to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.Aim: To determine the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the socio-economic condition of the vulnerable groups in South Africa. It also attempts to reflect the government’s response strategies to provide help and services for the vulnerable communities who are considered to be most susceptible to the existing pandemic. Lastly, the response strategies of civil society groups and the challenges they are encountering in providing humanitarian assistance to indigent communities are explored.Setting: This is a reflective study where secondary data has been analysed and intertwined with the researchers’ experiences and insights of the South African informal settlements’ welfare.Methods: This article followed a reflective approach where the experiences of the vulnerable communities are strategically reflected upon.Results: This fascinating study unearthed the effects of the coronavirus disease on the socio-economic conditions of vulnerable communities, the economy of the informal sector, the brutal enforcement agencies during the lockdown period, criminality, the fragmented government response and the marginalisation and frustration of civil society groups in providing humanitarian assistance to those in need.Conclusion: The South African government’s fragmentations, bureaucratic, maladministration and corruption in public departments have adversely impacted the welfare of the vulnerable groups who are living in the informal settlements. The human rights violations by the security agencies which are directed to the indigent people, and the centralisation of the humanitarian efforts by government had a negative effect on their wellbeing.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianne J.W.A. Vanderschuren ◽  
Obiora Nnene

Abstract BackgroundAlmost half of the African population is under the age of 18 years, while females make up just over half of the overall population. Estimates of the number of persons living with disabilities, on the African continent, range between 60-300 million individuals. Children, the elderly, females and people with disabilities all require amendments to traditional transport planning.MethodThis paper investigates the availability of transport policies and guidelines in 29 different African countries, focussing on the inclusion of persons with disabilities, women and children. A desktop study was conducted, followed by the analysis of secondary data in the case study area, South Africa, demonstrating that the lack of adequate policies, guidelines and appropriate implementation leads to a lack of accessibility, opportunities and social isolation. ResultsThe data analysed revealed that Ghana and Kenya, have the most inclusive policy and legislative framework, while Tanzania has the most inclusive transport related framework. The private sector, NGOs, and NPOs are most active in the inclusion of people living with disabilities in Ghana, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania and South Africa.In South Africa (STATSSA, 2013), over 2.2 million people (4.5% of the population) did not travel at all in the seven days before the interview, as their disability or age prohibits them to do so, or due to a lack of appropriate services. When comparing the trip rates per week, people with disabilities travel significantly less than their abled counterparts, between 65.8% and 27.2% less.ConclusionsThe study concludes that people with disability live less integrated, more isolated lives, due to the lack of accommodating infrastructure and services, in addition to the lack of binding policies, legislation, standards and guidelines. The results underpin the need for Disability Inclusive Planning in the African context and provides recommendations that mitigate the isolation challenges faced by people with disabilities.


Disabilities ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 202-217
Author(s):  
Joanne McVeigh ◽  
Malcolm MacLachlan ◽  
Delia Ferri ◽  
Hasheem Mannan

The participation of organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) is crucial at each stage of policy processes at the local, regional, and international levels. However, decision-making mechanisms have traditionally excluded OPDs, failing to consult with them on decisions that impact on their daily lives. The overall aim of this study was to examine the participation of persons with disabilities and OPDs in development programmes and policies by exploring recommendations from a sample of OPDs on ways to strengthen their participation with government and the UN. Secondary data analysis was conducted using a global survey on the participation of OPDs, administered by the International Disability Alliance to OPD representatives. Two open-ended items were analysed, which explored participants’ recommendations on ways to strengthen their participation with government and the UN. Data were analysed using the descriptive and interpretive qualitative methods. Respondents provided recommendations on how to strengthen their participation with their national government and the UN, focusing on several issues including accessibility, human rights, and the need for inclusion of all OPDs and all groups of persons with disabilities. The synergy between the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Sustainable Development Goals presents opportunities for OPDs to increase their participation in development policies and programmes. It is vital, however, to dismantle the barriers to participation in decision-making by OPDs and persons with disabilities.


2021 ◽  
pp. 104420732110231
Author(s):  
Carli Friedman ◽  
Laura VanPuymbrouck

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) opened the doors to access and enhanced the civil rights of people with disabilities. However, a lack of accessibility to all segments of society continues throughout the United States and is frequently described by people with disabilities as a leading cause for limited participation. Beliefs and attitudes regarding disability can affect critical decisions regarding inclusion and people with disabilities’ civil rights. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore support and opposition to the ADA among nondisabled people. We had the following research questions: (a) What is the relationship between disability prejudice and support for the ADA? and (b) When controlling for disability prejudice, what other factors lead people to support the ADA? To do so, we examined secondary data from approximately 13,000 participants from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Findings from this study revealed that people who oppose the ADA are significantly more prejudiced toward people with disabilities than people who support the ADA. Understanding and becoming aware of attitudes and prejudice toward persons with disabilities can be a first step toward dispelling such beliefs and possibly a priori step to achieving the intent and spirit of the ADA.


Author(s):  
Devendra Kumar Verma ◽  
Hari Singh ◽  
Girdhari lal Meena ◽  
Jitendra Suman ◽  
Sharad Sachan

Background: Pulses are one of the most important food crops grown globally owed to their higher protein content. It also accounts for larger financial gains of the agricultural sector by amounting for a large part of the exports. The present study was carried out to determine the factors affecting production of pulse crops in Rajasthan. Methods: This paper based on secondary data collected over the years i.e. from 2000-01 to 2017-18. The Cobb-douglas production function was used to the observation for the estimation of elasticity of selected variables contributing to the production of pulses in Rajasthan state, Cobb douglas type production function was employed to assess the effects of seed, fertilizer, manure, human labour, irrigation, bullock labour and plant protection measures on pulses production. Result: The results from the study have shown that fertilizer and plant protection measures were positively significant while the variable corresponding to irrigation water was negatively significantly affecting the gram production. The variables such as seed and irrigation water were found positive and significant, while plant protection measures had significant negative effect on black gram production. Only two variables namely, fertilizer and irrigation water were found positively significant out of estimating production function of green gram.


2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 3705-3714
Author(s):  
Shamyr Sulyvan de Castro ◽  
Alarcos Cieza ◽  
Chester Luiz Galvão Cesar

The scope of this article is to describe persons with disabilities (PwD) being subjected to cancer screening and the relationship between some social variables and inequalities in performing these tests. A cross-sectional study of cancer screening among PwD was conducted in 2007 with 333 participants interviewed in residence in 4 cities of São Paulo. Variables in the practice of cancer screening, disabilities, gender, age, income of main family breadwinner, ethnicity, use of health services, assistance required, private health insurance, and coverage by the family health program were studied. Frequencies, χ²-test, trend χ² percentages and the Odds Ratios (OR) were used for data analysis. 44% of PwD attended at least one cancer screening at the appropriate time. Persons with visual disabilities and with hearing disabilities were subjected to more screening examinations than those with mobility disabilities and women were attended in screening exams more than men. Persons between the ages of 21 and 60 reported cancer screening more frequently than those between 80 and 97 years of age. The outcomes indicate that PwD have different attitudes toward cancer screening according to the type of disability, gender, and age, which were the variables that directly influenced cancer screening exams.


2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina Sofya Werembinan ◽  
Caroline B. D. Pakasi ◽  
Lyndon R. J. Pangemanan

This study aims to determine the perceptions of the younger generation of agricultural activities in the Buha Sub-District of Mapanget District. This research was carried out from August 2017 to May 2018. Primary data was collected through interviews of 15 generations of young people with the help of filling out questionnaires. Secondary data was obtained from the Buha Village Office, Mapanget District. This analysis uses descriptive analysis. The results of this study indicate that the perception of the younger generation of agricultural activities in the Buha Sub-District is overall negative for agricultural activities. Viewed from internal factors include education, employment, gender and age. The higher the level of education, the wider the insight of the younger generation so that the lack of interest in the younger generation in agricultural activities is getting bigger. The younger generation who already have permanent jobs in the non-agricultural sector look down on agricultural activities because they assume that agricultural activities have a low social level. Women have a low interest in agricultural activities because they assume that agricultural activities are not suitable for women because it will damage their appearance. Respondents aged 21-30 years have a low interest in agricultural activities, in addition to reduced agricultural land. External factors include socialization, parental work status and land ownership status. The younger generation with a low level of socialization results in a lack of interest in the younger generation in agricultural activities. Parents of respondents who work in agriculture or non-agriculture do not want their children to make agricultural activities the main job. The young generation whose parents still own agricultural land is still doing agricultural activities to help their parents work on their farms.


2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adity Shayontony Das ◽  
Fatema Akter Bonny ◽  
Arifa Bente Mohosin ◽  
Sabina Faiz Rashid ◽  
Md Tanvir Hasan

Background: According to World Health Organization (WHO), vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities are facing severe impacts of the pandemic. There has always been significant challenges and hurdles in terms of achieving adequate and equitable inclusivity of persons with disabilities in all sections of social life. Education and employment of persons with disabilities were least focused which created more marginalization for the community. The long term impact of these marginalization has also led to the lack of jobs and social security of persons with disabilities, which is very clear now given the crisis in place. In low and middle income countries like Bangladesh the situation is even worse. To better understand the conditions of persons with disabilities in this crisis situation, the present study was initiated to explore the dimensions of livelihood with respect to income and wellbeing of persons with disabilities and to generate evidence for developing policies around these issues.Methods: A qualitative study was undertaken among 30 persons with disabilities from 8 different geographical divisions of Bangladesh. The interviews were conducted through telephone calls due to the existing COVID-19 crisis and mobility restrictions. The respondents were purposively selected based on gender, type of disability, area of resident (urban, rural) and their ability to communicate, therefore most (25/30) respondents were persons with physical disability. Thematic analysis was conducted to generate the findings of the study.Findings: Study findings revealed that majority of the respondents were involved in informal jobs. Predominantly males were daily wage-earners and often the sole breadwinner of the families, very few females were involved in economic activities. Since they had no stable income, the economic shock from the COVID-19 pandemic had affected them badly even leading to household level famine. The study identifies low level of education and informal job security as the primary causes of socio-economic insecurity among persons with disabilities, resulting in challenges in ensuring a stable livelihood during crisis situations, such as COVID-19.Conclusion: Constant alienation of persons of disabilities from the formal sector results in the deterioration of their livelihood standards which even worsen during any emergency crisis such as COVID-19. The study pinpoints that only aided services are not adequate to ensure persons with disabilities' rights rather there is an urgent need of disability inclusion in formal job sector and livelihood training for persons with disabilities. To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and to irradiate the inequality towards persons with disabilities in the society it is important for the Government and concern bodies to focus on the inclusiveness with better implementation and monitoring strategies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-91
Author(s):  
Bishnu Prasad Khanal

For the first time in history, almost all the domestic and international tourism destinations have restrictions for travel worldwide because of corona virus pandemic. Corona virus disease calls the COVID-19 pandemic is an ongoing problem in more than 210 countries in the world. The purpose of this study is to find the tourism impact of COVID-19 in Nepal and purpose recommendations for the preparation of evidence based policy and strategies for further development of the tourism industry in Nepal. Secondary data used in this study were obtained from the ministry of tourism in Nepal and other various web sources and primary data were collected from the online survey and collected 52 samples. They are involved in the hospitality, education & consulting, travel & tours, adventure & expedition, trekking agencies, and government officials from national tourism originations. The study highlights that the tourism contribution in Nepal’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) as a significant sector that has a linkage with other sectors. Also, the Nepalese tourism industry is dependent on international factors and the Nepal tourism industry highly relies on foreign tourists and cancellation of the mountain climbing permits for the year 2020, affects the income of foreign currency as building the capacity of stakeholders and public-private partnership initiatives to promote and work together to develop and manage in future tourism fields. well as the local economy, the loss of thousands of jobs in the tourism sector and others sectors. Overall analyses suggest that building the capacity of stakeholders and public-private partnership initiatives to promote and work together to develop and manage in future tourism fields.


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