Guidance Note: Protection of Children During Infectious Outbreaks

There has been an increase in frequency of infectious disease outbreaks worldwide over the past 40 years. Globalisation and the related increased movement of people and goods between countries and across continents have increased the potential for infectious diseases to spread quickly around the world. Even though progress has been made in the prevention, surveillance and treatment of diseases, infectious disease outbreaks remain a major public health concern.

This Guidance Note aims to provide humanitarian child protection practitioners, particularly child protection advisors and program managers, with guidance on how to engage in responses to infectious disease outbreaks to ensure children’s protection needs are taken into account in preparedness for, and during responses to, the outbreaks. The Guidance Note draws upon lessons learned during infectious disease outbreaks globally in a variety of contexts.