Public economics

Internal medicine

Pathology

Business

Disease

Social insurance

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Economic growth

Infectious disease (medical specialty)

Biology

Algorithm

Agriculture

Economic policy

Political science

Economics

Ecology

Social protection

Safety net

Livelihood

Computer science

Development economics

Argument (complex analysis)

Market economy

State (computer science)

Medicine

Developing country

Oxford Review of Economic Policy

The public health response to COVID-19 in many countries has involved strict restrictions on movement and economic activity which threaten the livelihoods of economically vulnerable households. In response, governments are adopting emergency economic measures to provide households with some safety net. We provide an overview of the policies that could form a comprehensive social protection strategy in low-income and middle-income countries, with examples of specific policies that have been adopted. Our core argument is that these countries can cast an emergency safety net with extensive coverage if they use a broader patchwork of solutions than higher-income countries. These strategies could include expanding their social insurance system, building on existing social assistance programmes, and involving local governments and non-state institutions to identify and assist vulnerable groups who are otherwise harder to reach.

Social protection response to the COVID-19 crisis: options for developing countries