Guidance Note: Protection of Children during Infectious Disease Outbreaks

Children in particular are vulnerable during infectious disease outbreaks for a variety of reasons. Beyond the immediate impacts on their health and that of their caregivers, the social and economic disruptions caused by outbreaks also present risks to children’s well-being and protection. 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.