The repercussions of the current COVID-19 pandemic are presented to us daily in multiple ways. The adverse social effects of the crisis are chief among these and have already disrupted many aspects of poverty reduction. Against this new backdrop, an OPHI Briefing analyses recent trends and projections of multidimensional poverty in Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries.
It is widely recognised that poverty is multidimensional and OPHI has played a prominent role towards this recognition. However, these dimensions need to be better specified and some have gone unrecognized. OPHI has identified five Missing Dimensions of poverty that deprived people cite as important in their experiences of poverty and that have been largely overlooked in large-scale quantitative work on poverty and human development: Informal and unsafe work; Disempowerment; Shame, humiliation and isolation; Physical insecurity, and Subjective ill-being. Survey modules have been developed to collect data on these dimensions. See Missing Dimensions of Poverty | OPHI.
The Government of Honduras has launched a Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI) to provide electronic vouchers for food, medicines
and biosafety equipment targeted to independent workers and self-employed persons hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic.