Activists warn of a looming mental health crisis among children
By Ritah Kemigisa
Child Rights activists have raised concern over a looming mental health crisis among children who have lost their parents or caregivers to Covid-19.
Timothy Opobo, who is also the Executive Director AfriChild Center Uganda says the magnitude of caregiver loss during the COVID-19 pandemic shows an urgent need for supporting family-based care for children.
He tells KFM that the sudden loss of a caregiver increases the risk of the child’s vulnerability to a mental breakdown and long term trauma.
Opobo thus calls for increased access to mental health support services to children, besides just meeting their physical needs.
His concerns follow release yesterday, of new findings from a joint global study led by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and published in The Lancet which revealed that during the first 14 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of children lost a parent, custodial grandparent, or caregiver due to COVID-19.
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