Vulnerability of Less Developed Countries to COVID-19 Notes

8.3 Vulnerability to Less Developed Countries to COVID-19

• Syllabus content: compare the physical and human factors that explain why less developed countries are more vulnerable to the hazard than more developed countries

Definitions

• Vulnerability: The susceptibility of a person or place to be harmed by a hazard (such as COVID-19).
• Less Developed Countries (LDC): A country with a lower GDP (Gross Domestic Product) relative to other countries and are more vulnerable to the impacts of natural and ecological hazards. Example: South Sudan, Yemen.
• More Developed Countries (MDC): High income or economically rich countries that are less vulnerable to the impacts of natural and ecological hazards. Example: United States of America, Australia.

Individuals Most at Risk of Infection or Serious Illness

• Travellers who have recently been overseas
• People who have been in close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19
• People in correctional and detention facilities (jail, immigration)
• People in group residential settings (aged care)
• Health workers
• Indigenous people and people from remote communities
• People over the age of 70
• People with health conditions that compromise their immune systems (cancer undergoing radiation, MS)
• People with chronic conditions

Physical Factors Increasing Vulnerability

• Prevalence of other diseases and illnesses: Many LDCs have a high prevalence of other ecological hazards such as Malaria, HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Ebola.
  • These countries are either still burdened with these diseases or are only just recovering from previous epidemics.
  • The continent of Africa reports that, on average, the region is dealing with over 100 outbreaks of COVID-19 and ongoing events and 10 Humanitarian crises.
  • For example, the Democratic Republic of Congo reported its 11th outbreak of Ebola in June 2020 and was also burdened with a large measles outbreak.
  • A large proportion of its population suffer from other chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
• Natural Disasters: Natural disasters that strike during the pandemic decrease a community's ability to cope.
  • For example, in 2019 Mozambique and Zimbabwe experienced two major tropical storm events that resulted in mass flooding and displacement of over 100,000 people.
  • During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, swarms of Locusts impacted crops and grasses in Eastern Africa.
  • Crops were impacted in parts of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen.
  • The locusts further threatened food security throughout Africa.
  • According to the UN Food and Agricultural Organization, over 50% of the population are dealing with moderate or severe acute food security.
  • Recovery from these natural disaster events takes months to years and require substantial funding and resources.
  • During this recovery period, people are vulnerable to malnutrition.
  • People are at higher risk of exposure to infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, due to the weakened state of their bodies and damaged infrastructure that prevents access to clean water.

Human Factors Increasing Vulnerability

• Financial resources and economy:

  • The average GDP per capita, per annum of a LDC is US\$922.
  • The average GDP per capita, per annum of a MDC is US\$10,250.
  • LDCs level of debts in 2019 was US\$41 billion.
  • This financial situation demonstrates that they are able to raise funds in times of crisis and tend to rely heavily on funds from international aid.
  • For example, the World Bank Group, which provides funding for developing countries has sourced over 95% of Ethiopia's COVID-19 response.
  • In comparison, the Australian government provided the necessary funds and didn't rely on international aid.
  • A lack of immediate funds and having to wait for international aid increases the vulnerability of LDCs to COVID-19, as they can't respond to the pandemic swiftly and effectively.

• Health Care facilities: Lack of hospital beds, health funding, and necessary equipment make LDCs highly vulnerable to COVID-19 infections and fatalities.

  • Hospital beds:
    • LDCs: 113 per 100,000 (80% below developed countries)
    • MDCs: roughly 1300 per 100,000
  • Ventilators:
    • LDCs: 41 African countries had 2000 ventilators between them, and 10 had none
    • MDCs: Australia has over 2000 ventilators

• PPE and BIP:

  • PPE (personal protection equipment) includes gloves, face masks, gowns, and eye protection as per World Health Organization guidelines.
  • BIP (basic infection protection) items include guidelines for infection protection, portable water and soup or hand sanitizer, surface disinfectant, and waste bins.
  • Lack of access to these items increased their vulnerability to COVID-19 infection.

• Poverty levels

  • There are approximately 370 million people living in extreme poverty (living on less than $$1.90 per day) in LDCs.
  • The conditions experienced by people in poverty include living in slums, refugee camps, or with little or no access to sanitation.
  • The lack of access to clean water and soap makes the simple COVID-19 mitigation strategy of washing hands frequently impossible to carry out.
  • It is estimated that 64% of the urban population in Ethiopia lives in slums, including 80% of the people in the city of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.
  • The densely populated communities also hinder COVID-19 mitigation strategies, such as lockdowns and social distancing, making these people highly vulnerable to infection and the rapid spread of COVID-19.

• Wealth and health

  • Despite their advantages, richer countries have shown a larger loss in life years due to the pandemic than many poorer countries.
  • The graph shows life years per 100,000 people vs GDP (PPP, constant 2011 US dollars) for different countries with different income levels; low-income countries, lower-middle-income countries, upper-middle-income countries, and high-income countries. Country abbreviations are International Organization for Standardization (ISO) country codes; PPP = purchasing power parity.