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For the third time, HelpAge International conducted a rapid needs assessment among older people and people with disabilities to identify their specific needs since the military coup on 1 February 2021.

The arrival of COVID-19 has further aggravated pre-existing problems within the country including political instability and food insecurity. Furthermore, the health care system lacks sufficient medical and appropriate protective equipment. The governement lockdown measures have made many people lose their jobs, while others, in the informal sectors, had to break movement restrictions by continuing to work in a contracting economy.

Many people have lost their jobs, while others, in the informal sectors, had to break movement restrictions by continuing to work in a contracting economy. This loss or reduction in livelihoods has led many to use up their depleting savings as well as selling assets to cover their basic needs. Furthermore, the health care system lacks sufficient medical equipment including appropriate protective equipment.

April 2020

As the COVID-19 virus spreads across Asia-Pacific, governments have started taking drastic public health measures to protect their citizens. While the threat of COVID-19 remains high across the region, we are witnessing a faster spread of the virus in countries such as Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and the Philippines.

Mozambique mounted its response to COVID-19 whilst grappling with growing armed conflict in the north of the country and attempting to recover from the devastation caused by Cyclone Idai in March 2019. While confirmed cases remain comparatively low, the economic and social fallout of COVID-19, coupled with these pre-existing vulnerabilities, has severely impacted older people in the country. HelpAge undertook this assessment in May 2020 in four provinces, working through local partners ACIDECO, APITE, ASADEC and Vukoxa.

Uganda has experienced a rapidly changing COVID-19 situation since the virus reached the country in March. The virus initially developed in urban areas and more recently has spread into several rural communities. As of August 26th, the cumulative number of confirmed cases and death from COVID-19 was 2,426 and 22, respectively. Unfortunately, the government does not disaggregate its data by age and gender so a contextual examination of the effect of COVID-19 on the population groups is not available.