Objective
Describe the strategies established by Chile, Colombia, and Peru during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and compare them from a children's rights perspective.
Methods
A qualitative study with comparative analysis of public policies was conducted around seven categories constructed by the Latin American Chapter of the International Society for Social Pediatrics and Child Health, based on the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Country documents were selected based on convenience sampling and were analyzed in deliberative dialogues
Results
173 documents from the three countries were reviewed. There was convergence around: prioritization of prevention of community transmission of the virus over promotion of the exercise of children's rights; lack of participation of children and adolescents in the process of developing public policies; and lack of progress in the recognition and protection of the exercise of children’s rights overall. There were no major divergences beyond identified inequality gaps grounded in the reality of each country.
Conclusion
The pandemic has affected the functioning of the economic, social, health, education, environmental, and governance systems in these three countries. While this study shows progress in the inclusion of the children's rights approach in formulated policies, the recognition of children and adolescents as holders of social and political rights could allow the construction of collective alternatives that guarantee health and well-being for all people throughout life course.