1.5 Million children have lost a caregiver to COVID-19
July / August 2021 | Volume 20 Number 4
More than 1.5 million children around the world are
estimated to have lost at least one parent, custodial
grandparent, or grandparent who lived with them due to COVID-19-related deaths, according to a study published
in The Lancet. The research—which covered the first 14
months of the pandemic—highlights orphanhood as an
urgent and overlooked consequence of COVID-19 and
emphasizes that providing evidence-based psychosocial and economic support to children who have lost a caregiver
must be a key part of responding to the pandemic.
The analysis used mortality and fertility data to model
rates of COVID-19-associated orphanhood and deaths of
custodial and co-residing grandparents from March 1,
2020 to April 30, 2021, across 21 countries. This study
was funded in part by the NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Traumatic experiences, such as the loss
of a parent or caregiver, are associated with increases
in substance use, mental health conditions, and other
behavioral and chronic health conditions. NIDA supports
research aimed at understanding the impact of trauma on
young people, preventing substance use after experiencing
hardship and treating substance use in populations that
experience trauma.
"Studies like this play a crucial role in illuminating the
COVID-19 pandemic's long-lasting consequences for
families and the future mental health and wellbeing of
children across the globe," said NIDA Director Dr. Nora
D. Volkow. "Though the trauma a child experiences after
the loss of a parent or caregiver can be devastating,
there are evidence-based interventions that can prevent
further adverse consequences, such as substance use,
and we must ensure that children have access to these
interventions."
To estimate pandemic-associated orphanhood and
caregiver deaths, the study used excess mortality and
COVID-19 mortality data for 21 countries that accounted
for 77% of global COVID-19 deaths during 2020 and
early 2021. These include Argentina, Brazil, Colombia,
England and Wales, France, Germany, India, Iran, Italy,
Kenya, Malawi, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Poland,
Russian Federation, South Africa, Spain, United States
and Zimbabwe.
The authors estimate that 1,134,000 children lost a parent
or custodial grandparent due to COVID-19-associated
death. Of these, 1,042,000 children were orphaned of a
mother, father or both. Overall, 1,562,000 children are
estimated to have experienced the death of at least one
parent or a custodial or other co-residing grandparent.
The countries with the highest numbers of children who
lost primary caregivers include South Africa, Peru, United
States, India, Brazil and Mexico. Countries with rates of
COVID-19-associated deaths among primary caregivers
greater than one per 1,000 children include Peru, South
Africa, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Iran, United States,
Argentina and Russia.
The study found that for every country, COVID-19
associated deaths were greater in men than women,
particularly in middle- and older-ages. Overall, there were
up to five times more children who lost a father than who
lost a mother.
More Information
To view Adobe PDF files,
download current, free accessible plug-ins from Adobe's website.
Related Global Health Research Topics