COVID‑19 health equity impact policy brief: informal workers (2020)

Key messages

• COVID‑19 has inflicted disproportionate health and economic risks on informal workers, who are least equipped to withstand these risks.
• Inequities in informal employment between and within countries are exacerbated by COVID‑19, and will have long- term negative impacts on the health of informal workers and on health equity.
• A combination of cohesive and targeted policies can reduce the risk and mitigate the effects of COVID‑19 on health inequity for informal workers, but must consider the diverse challenges faced by informal workers and businesses.
• Key mitigating policies include extending universal health coverage and quality; increasing the adequacy and coverage of social protection, including sickness and unemployment benefits; and reducing the levels of informal employment. Implementation of these policies needs to take into account the diversity of informal workers and prioritize reaching particularly vulnerable, hard-to-reach groups.