Long-term care is vitally important in our region: More than eight million older adults are not able to independently carry out at least one basic activity of daily living, such as bathing and feeding themselves, or getting out of bed.

No classes, no teachers, no friends, no games, and no daily routine that children are used to. Now all the days seem the same.  The health crisis has significantly changed our day to day. This has been a radical change for all students of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), not only being inside all day long but trying to learn from somewhere other than school.

As we have struggled to navigate the current crisis, we have heard the coronavirus referred to as a “great equalizer”. These claims, however, were swiftly rebuked. While the virus can indeed affect any one of us, we know that individuals with preexisting medical conditions are extremely vulnerable. And pre-existing social and economic inequalities can be just as devastating. This is especially true for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender/sexual, and Queer (LGBTQ+) individuals who often face debilitating discrimination.

The early childhood development cluster of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is working to protect the youngest children in the region. Find out how.