Responding to the Coronavirus crisis in the world’s poorest communities

Cases of COVID19 are now increasingly being reported across Africa, where the impact could be devastating. At CBM, our first priority is to protect the world’s most vulnerable people. Sadly, we know that at times of crisis, people with disabilities are at greatest risk – wherever you live in the world.

CBM UK Chief Executive Kirsty Smith says:

“We’re working closely with our Country Offices in Africa and Asia to help them prepare and protect their staff, people with disabilities and their families. With your support, we’ve stood by our partners at times of crisis before, like the Ebola outbreak of 2015, to ensure they can protect the most vulnerable – and we’re ready to do it again.”

CBM and our partners are already working to ensure people with disabilities and their families aren’t left behind, for example:

• In Nigeria, we’re working with disabled people’s organisations and media organisations to provide sign-language interpretation for vital health messages and updates, so people with hearing impairment can keep themselves safe;
• In Bangladesh, our existing health programmes are working to adapt to deliver disability-inclusive materials with life-saving health advice and information and to ensure health workers have the protective equipment they need.
• We’re working with partners like the International Disability Alliance and World Blind Union to ensure that the voices of people with disabilities are heard during this crisis, so the issues facing them are addressed.
• We have developed a resource with key advocacy messages, questions and links to further information about inclusion of people with disabilities during the pandemic, which CBM staff and partners around the world can use to inform and influence decision makers in their country to make response activities inclusive.

Following much consideration, we have decided to pause our See the Way appeal which will now end on the 9th April. This will enable us to focus our efforts on reaching out to the most vulnerable people affected by the Coronavirus crisis. Until 9 April, your Easter See the Way gift will still have twice the impact to prevent avoidable blindness (open link in new tab). We will relaunch our See the Way appeal later this year for 5 weeks and the UK government will once again match donations to the appeal during this time through UK Aid Match.

Now more than ever we need to rally for those most at risk. The CBM family has always come together in times of great need; because of you lives have been transformed and saved. Your prayerful support is needed now more than ever to ensure we can continue to protect the most vulnerable.

Please pray for health workers across the world. Thanks to your support, we train and equip thousands of health workers every year in the world’s poorest places, and work with health authorities and other partners to strengthen health systems. These doctors, nurses, community health volunteers and others will now be at the frontline of protecting their communities from Coronavirus. We give thanks for their skills and dedication and pray that God will strengthen and protect them at this challenging time.

Image: A medical optician at CBM’s partner hospital in Uganda explains and demonstrates the importance of cleaning hands during the COVID-19 outbreak.