Review of Impacts on Sustainable Development in Ecuador of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Lockdown Measures

Resumen

The COVID-19 pandemic has put pressure on Ecuador’s Government and affected its ability to achieve its Sustainable Development Goals. This literature review shows the impacts of the pandemic and lockdown measures on SDGs 1, 3, 4, and 8 in Ecuador, with an individual focus on poverty, health, education, and the economy. The timeline used to analyze the impacts of COVID-19 in Ecuador is the period 2015–2020. The results show that measures were not effective in controlling the pandemic, according to the ECE (Epidemy Control Efficiency) indicator. Unemployment, poverty, and extreme poverty increased. Ecuador faced Dengue disease at the same time as the COVID-19 pandemic. Efforts to establish tracking and early diagnosis of COVID-19 were hindered due to a shortage of testing. Furthermore, effective learning through virtual education was difficult for the 74.7% of households without an internet connection. In general, the pandemic set back Ecuador’s progress towards the SDGs analyzed.