COVID-19 in the global south: Economic impacts and recovery

June 10, 2020

Part of the Berkeley Conversations Series

As COVID-19 began to spread earlier this year, some of the earliest and strictest lockdown policies were imposed in the global south, a term that refers to refers broadly to the regions of Latin America, Asia, Africa and Oceania.

Those shelter-in-place orders had profound implications for the large majority of households in the global south that rely on wages from an informal economy. The United Nations World Food Program recently projected that more than a quarter of a billion people might suffer acute hunger by the end of the year.

On June 10, 2020, the Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) hosted a Berkeley Conversations: COVID-19 live event, “COVID-19 in the global south: Economic Impacts and Recovery.

The online panel featured O-Lab affiliates Josh Blumenstock, Supreet Kaur, and Ted Miguel, and explored the economic impacts and longer-term implications of the pandemic in low- and middle-income countries, along with insights that could help governments and non-governmental organizations protect individuals and households from falling deeper into poverty.

Take a look below at the presentations and the full conversation.