India, March 19 -- How economic and gender inequalities play out in a public health crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic;how local governments can respond with a pro-poor, pro-women approach

On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 as a pandemic with 114 countries affected and more than 4,000 people dead as a result of the coronavirus.

The Philippines is among those countries and the Philippine government, foremost the Department of Health, has issued various guidelines. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the test kit developed by the University of the Philippines and this could hasten and improve the tracking and monitoring of persons who might have been exposed to the virus, thus leading to th...