Data and cooperation required for Venezuela’s refugee crisis during COVID-19

Globalization and Health

Claire J. Standley¹  Erin M. Sorrell¹  Emrose Kathawala²  Eric Chu²  Deisy Ventura³ 

[1] Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA;Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA;Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA;Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA;Public Health School, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil;

关键词: Venezuela;    Migrant crisis;    COVID-19;    Cross border infectious diseases;    Health systems;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12992-020-00635-7

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

The deteriorating political and economic situation in Venezuela has ramifications far beyond the Latin American country’s borders as almost five million Venezuelans fled and migrated into countries in the region due to the crisis at home. The scarcity of health services, the lack of information sharing, and the absence of reliable data in Venezuela create challenges for confronting developing health emergencies and disease outbreaks. The need for accurate data is especially dire given the current COVID-19 pandemic and evolving movement of refugees. While countries and international organizations came together to form a coordinated response to Venezuela’s political and humanitarian crisis, this geopolitical progress is threatened by the rapid spread of COVID-19, and the instinct for countries to focus inwards on domestic response priorities, rather than engage in regional cooperation. It is critical that the international community set aside geopolitical differences and cooperate to seek an accurate picture of the conditions on the ground to improve the welfare of Venezuelan migrants and to provide a more robust response to the current pandemic.

【 授权许可】

CC BY