COVID-19 is a global challenge that demands researchers, policy makers, and

governments address multiple dimensions which go far beyond the implications of

this pandemic for health and wellbeing. Here, I will highlight the most important
parts of this pandemic.

In 2018, approximately 800 million people worldwide were experiencing chronic

hunger; and by 2019, those living with crisis-level food shortages had increased
from 110 million to 135 million. And guess what? COVID-19 could almost double this
number. To 265 million.

The poorest of the poor are the most vulnerable to the impact of COVID-19 on the
global food industry. This includes its effects on food production (planting and
harvest), transport, processing, and safe distribution to and from local markets.
Without international collaboration, protection measures by national governments
and disrupted supply chains could cause food shortages, increasing food prices the
world over.

This is only the tip of the iceberg.

COVID-19 has also started an education crisis.

The UNESCO estimates that over 60% of the world's student population has been
affected, with 1.2 billion young learners out of school across 150 countries. Loss
of access to education not only diminishes learning in the short term but also
increases long-term dropout rates and reduces future economic opportunities. The
consequences of COVID-19 have a domino affect, with school closures predicted to
have a excruciatingly large negative impact on the most vulnerable and risk
exacerbating existing global inequalities. Vulnerable children will have even fewer
opportunities to learn at home, and may lack adequate food in the absence of access
to free or subsidised school meals. No one is safe.

We cannot forget the massive impact on our health service, not only on their
resources, but on their staff.
20% say they are working much more than usual, and other 37% are working a bit more
than usual. In NHS hospitals, 50% of staff are working more than normal, and six in
ten (65%) of staff at GP’s and health surgeries are also doing longer hours than
normal.
Its not just patient-facing roles that are putting in additional hours either, 48%
of healthcare scientists and technical and scientific staff working in NHS testing
labs and blood banks are also working overtime. These issues will start a domino
effect on the mental health of our health service, possibly leading to a massive
strike.
Globally, there have been sharp falls in the remittances that support millions in
low-income countries; in sub-saharan Africa, inward remittances in 2018 amounted to
US$46 billion, dwarfing foreign direct investment at $32 billion for that year.5 Up
to 16% of GDP across Africa is from remittances, much of which comes from European
countries currently in lockdown. Rapid imposition of movement restrictions has also
left migrant labourers stranded while facing sudden unemployment.

COVID-19 brings a short-term climate dividend with benefits including cleaner urban
air, but a post-pandemic economic recession could (or WILL) divert attention from
the underlying climate crisis. The pandemic elevates the likelihood of disaster
events, especially for the nearly one billion people exposed to flooding.8 June is
the start of the hurricane season in the Caribbean and the monsoon in south Asia;
summer heat in North America and Europe will also disproportionately affect the
elderly and those with underlying health conditions. Health, social, and
humanitarian sectors will be stretched to cope with overlapping events, especially
under the global economic recession.

And to finish off, I’d like to address the opposition. If you are to make the point
that Climate Change is the more pertinent issue, than another argument comes to
mind. If COVID kills all the people working against Climate Change, what then? The
UN has already seen that Global Treaties and agreements have slowed down
tremendously due to this pandemic. Even you, Mr (whatever the guy who’s listening
to these’s name is idk), are only able to view this through video, several miles
away. If no one can solve a problem due to another, then the other becomes more
important. There will be no one marching for action against the Climate crisis if
everyone is already dead.

Thank you very much for listening. Bye. *guys name need to know