Document Type

Brief

Publication Date

11-12-2020

Abstract

Between July 16 and 30, 2020, a phone survey was completed with 1,234 adolescents ages 10–19 in Wajir, Kenya. All participants were part of the ongoing Adolescent Girls Initiative–Kenya cohort covering 79 villages in Wajir County, an underdeveloped area in Northeastern Kenya along the border with Somalia. As noted in this brief, adolescents in Wajir have been impacted by COVID-19 and related mitigation measures, primarily through school closures and economic losses. Many have been unable to continue learning or schoolwork from home while schools have been closed, and meal distribution to address rising food insecurity is needed. The pandemic has also taken a toll on adolescents’ mental health. If COVID-19 becomes a prolonged crisis, these negative effects on adolescents’ education and health may worsen or be compounded, so strong social support systems must be implemented quickly.

DOI

10.31899/pgy17.1005

Language

English

Project

Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic

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