Kansiime Monica K, Tambo Justice A, Mugambi Idah, Bundi Mary, Kara Augustine, Owuor Charles
CABI Africa, P.O. Box 633-00621, Nairobi, Kenya.
CABI, Rue des Grillons 1, 2800 Delémont, Switzerland.
World Dev. 2021 Jan;137:105199. doi: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105199. Epub 2020 Sep 18.
This study assessed implications of the Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic on household income and food security in two East African countries - Kenya and Uganda, using online survey data from 442 respondents. Results show that more than two-thirds of the respondents experienced income shocks due to the COVID-19 crisis. Food security and dietary quality worsened, as measured by the food insecurity experience scale and the frequency of consumption of nutritionally-rich foods. The proportion of food insecure respondents increased by 38% and 44% in Kenya and Uganda respectively, and in both countries, the regular consumption of fruits decreased by about 30% during the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to a normal period (before the pandemic). Results from probit regressions show that the income-poor households and those dependent on labour income were more vulnerable to income shock, and had poorer food consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to other respondent categories. As such, they were more likely to employ food-based coping strategies compared to those pursuing alternative livelihoods, who generally relied on savings. Farmers were less likely to experience worsened food security compared to other respondent categories who depended to a great extent on market sources for food. In both countries, participation in national social security schemes was less likely to mitigate respondents' income shock during the COVID-19 period. Conversely, membership in savings and loan groups was correlated with less likelihood of suffering income shocks and reduction in food consumption. The results suggest that ongoing and future government responses should focus on structural changes in social security by developing responsive packages to cushion members pushed into poverty by such pandemics while building strong financial institutions to support the recovery of businesses in the medium term, and ensuring the resilience of food supply chains particularly those making available nutrient-dense foods.
本研究利用442名受访者的在线调查数据，评估了2019冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行对肯尼亚和乌干达这两个东非国家家庭收入和粮食安全的影响。结果显示，超过三分之二的受访者因COVID-19危机而经历了收入冲击。根据粮食不安全经历量表和营养丰富食物的消费频率衡量，粮食安全和饮食质量恶化。肯尼亚和乌干达粮食不安全受访者的比例分别增加了38%和44%，与正常时期（大流行前）相比，在这两个国家，COVID-19大流行期间水果的经常消费量均下降了约30%。概率回归结果显示，贫困家庭和依赖劳动收入的家庭在COVID-19大流行期间比其他受访者类别更容易受到收入冲击，且食物消费更差。因此，与那些通常依靠储蓄的从事其他生计的人相比，他们更有可能采用基于食物的应对策略。与其他在很大程度上依赖市场获取食物的受访者类别相比，农民经历粮食安全恶化的可能性较小。在这两个国家，参与国家社会保障计划在COVID-19期间不太可能减轻受访者的收入冲击。相反，储蓄和贷款团体的成员资格与遭受收入冲击和食物消费减少的可能性较小相关。结果表明，当前和未来政府的应对措施应侧重于社会保障的结构性变革，制定应对方案以缓冲受此类大流行影响陷入贫困的成员，同时建立强大的金融机构以支持企业在中期的复苏，并确保粮食供应链的韧性，特别是那些提供营养密集型食物的供应链。
