The impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on food security among pregnant women

Abstract

COVID-19 first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China. It has affected more than 600 million people currently all around the world. In the initial stage of the pandemic, the Chinese government acted swiftly to lockdown Wuhan and enforced restrictions on outdoor activities to minimise the virus transmission between people. Policymakers in many countries acted similarly to limit population mobility to minimise the direct effects of COVID-19 on humanity. Accumulating research has been done to investigate the negative impact of food insecurity on pregnant women. Also, there is a growing number of research on virus characteristics, COVID-19 mortality rate, and social and financial implications. However, little research has been done to investigate the food insecurity as an indirect consequence of the pandemic and COVID-19 itself and how it will adversely affect pregnant women. This study identifies three primary factors that contribute to food insecurity among pregnant women during COVID-19: changing eating patterns, difficulty getting antenatal care, and poor socioeconomic level. A review will be conducted in this study with the aim of determining the factors of COVID-19 that could contribute to food insecurity and how it influences pregnant women. A call for action will be generated in three levels in terms of individual, community, and national to support food supplies and promote healthy behaviours among pregnant women.