A: Over 1 billion people worldwide live in slums, characterized by dense living, lack of infrastructure (potable water, adequate sewerage), unstable homes, no land tenure, and widespread poverty.
These conditions put slum residents at high risk of disease, especially COVID-19. While some countries are imposing lockdowns, other countries are doing nothing. While there are reports of high death tolls in certain urban settlements, data on the effects of pandemics on slums worldwide is hard to track.
