Pandemic preparedness and response to COVID-19 in South Asian countries

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Kabayam Venkat Narayan, Emory University; Giridhara R Babu, Public Health Foundation of India; Sonalini Khetrapal, Asian Development Bank; Daisy A John, Public Health Foundation of India; R Deepa, Public Health Foundation of India; Venkat KM Narayan, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2021-01-21
• Publisher: ELSEVIER SCI LTD
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2020 The Authors
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2020.12.048
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
• Volume: 104
• Start Page: 169
• End Page: 174
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was supported by the Wellcome Trust/DBT India Alliance Fellowship (Grant No. IA/CPHI/14/1/501499) awarded to Dr Giridhara R. Babu.
• Keywords: Science & Technology; Infectious Diseases; South Asia; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Life Sciences & Biomedicine
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Epidemiology; Health Sciences, Public Health; Health Sciences, General

Abstract

Introduction: There was a low level of pandemic preparedness in South Asia, but the region has done well in mounting an appropriate response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The rate and proportion of deaths attributed to COVID-19 are lower despite case surges similar to the rest of the world. Results: The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the glaring vulnerabilities of the health system. In addition, the high burden of non-communicable diseases in South Asia multiplies the complexities in combating present and future health crises. The advantage offered by the younger population demographics in South Asia may not be sustained with the rising burden of non-communicable diseases and lack of priority setting for improving health systems. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has provided a window for introspection, scaling up preparedness for future pandemics, and improving the health of the population overall.