Addressing the unequal pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic, and the global response to it, has exposed data gaps that render many people and groups essentially invisible, disproportionately impacting people who had already been marginalised.

Community, family and civil society responses have been critical in meeting the urgent and devastating situations resulting from the pandemic. But it is essential that adequate support is provided at a national level, and for this to happen we need to make sure that data accurately reflects the situation on the ground.

In response to this need, the Civil Society Collaborative on Inclusive COVID-19 Data was formed. This is an international group of civil society organisations (CSOs) working together to harness the potential of data generated by communities and CSOs.

Working with data collected in communities and with CSO partners, the group has examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people who have been marginalised and may have been excluded from national response efforts, including (but not limited to) ethnic minorities, indigenous or internally displaced people, older people, people with disabilities, refugees, and women and girls. The results of this analysis have been published in a new report, Unequal Pandemic.

Sightsavers is proud to be a contributor to the group. Our very own Dr Elsie Makachiya (inclusive data project manager) has been part of the Collaborative’s steering committee. Elsie has represented Sightsavers and gathered our collective insights for inclusion in the report. She has provided input in the development of the final report and recommendations, including monitoring timelines, giving input on the final report and developing the Civil Society Collaborative on Inclusive COVID-19 Data’s Global Advocacy Strategy alongside Sightsavers’ Global Advocacy leads, Aissata Ndiaye and Jennifer Williams.

Our hope is that the report will drive more inclusive pandemic response measures and demonstrate the value of community and CSO data in providing a more accurate picture of the realities experienced by people who have been marginalised.

For more information please email Elsie Makachiya, inclusive data project manager.