This paper highlights the major challenges and considerations for addressing COVID-19 in informal settlements. It discusses what is known about vulnerabilities and how to support local protective action. There is heightened concern about informal urban settlements because of the combination of population density and inadequate access to water and sanitation, which makes standard advice about social distancing and washing hands implausible. There are further challenges to do with the lack of reliable data and the social, political and economic contexts in each setting that will influence vulnerability and possibilities for action. The potential health impacts of COVID-19 are immense in informal settlements, but if control measures are poorly executed these could also have severe negative impacts. Public health interventions must be balanced with social and economic interventions, especially in relation to the informal economy upon which many poor urban residents depend. Local residents, leaders and community-based groups must be engaged and resourced to develop locally appropriate control strategies, in partnership with local governments and authorities. Historically, informal settlements and their residents have been stigmatized, blamed, and subjected to rules and regulations that are unaffordable or unfeasible to adhere to. Responses to COVID-19 should not repeat these mistakes. Priorities for enabling effective control measures include: collaborating with local residents who have unsurpassed knowledge of relevant spatial and social infrastructures, strengthening coordination with local governments, and investing in improved data for monitoring the response in informal settlements.

中文翻译：

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突发卫生事件中的地方响应：在非正规城市住区应对 COVID-19 大流行的主要考虑因素

本文重点介绍了在非正规住区解决 COVID-19 问题的主要挑战和注意事项。它讨论了有关漏洞的已知信息以及如何支持本地保护措施。由于人口密度大，水和卫生设施供应不足，人们对非正规城市住区的担忧加剧，这使得关于保持社交距离和洗手的标准建议变得不可信。由于缺乏可靠的数据以及每个环境中的社会、政治和经济背景都会影响脆弱性和采取行动的可能性，因此还存在进一步的挑战。COVID-19 对非正规住区的潜在健康影响是巨大的，但如果控制措施执行不力，这些也可能产生严重的负面影响。公共卫生干预必须与社会和经济干预相平衡，尤其是与许多城市贫困居民赖以生存的非正规经济相关的干预。必须与地方政府和当局合作，让当地居民、领导人和社区团体参与并提供资源，以制定适合当地的控制策略。从历史上看，非正规住区及其居民一直受到污名化、指责，并受到负担不起或无法遵守的规章制度的约束。对 COVID-19 的回应不应重复这些错误。实施有效控制措施的优先事项包括：与对相关空间和社会基础设施具有无与伦比知识的当地居民合作，加强与地方政府的协调，