1. Low uptake of COVID-19 prevention behaviours and high socioeconomic impact of lockdown measures in South Asia: Evidence from a large-scale multi-country surveillance programme
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Khadija Irfan Khawaja, Vindya P. Rajakaruna, Rajendra Pradeepa, Sajjad Ahmad, Chamini K. De Silva, Anuradhani Kasturiratne, Mehedi Hasan, Asma Tassawar, Balachandran Kumarendran, Malabika Sarker, Sujeet Jha, Prasad Katulanda, Abu Am Hanif, Sara Mahmood, Menka Loomba, John C. Chambers, Manoja Gamage, Franco Sassi, Dian Kusuma, Ranjit Mohan Anjana, Marie Loh, Malay K Mridha, Akansha Tyagi, Swati Waghdhare, Ian Y. Goon, Syed Mohsin Ali Shah, Archa Misra, Samreen Siddiqui, Jaspal S. Kooner, Saira Burney, Viswanathan Mohan, Laksara de Silva, Rajan Kamalesh, Wellcome Trust, and National Institute for Health Research
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Health (social science) ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Preventative measures ,South Asia ,Article ,1117 Public Health and Health Services ,Health(social science) ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Hygiene ,Environmental health ,Pandemic ,medicine ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Economic impact analysis ,NIHR Global Health Research Unit for Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease in South Asia ,lcsh:Social sciences (General) ,Socioeconomic status ,Depression (differential diagnoses) ,Surveillance system ,media_common ,030505 public health ,business.industry ,lcsh:Public aspects of medicine ,Health Policy ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,COVID-19 ,lcsh:RA1-1270 ,medicine.disease ,Mental health ,Obesity ,Disadvantaged ,Socioeconomic impact ,Scale (social sciences) ,Household income ,Anxiety ,lcsh:H1-99 ,medicine.symptom ,0305 other medical science ,business - Abstract
Background South Asia has become a major epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding South Asians’ awareness, attitudes and experiences of early measures for the prevention of COVID-19 is key to improving the effectiveness and mitigating the social and economic impacts of pandemic responses at a critical time for the Region. Methods We assessed the knowledge, behaviours, health and socio-economic circumstances of 29,809 adult men and women, at 93 locations across four South Asian countries. Data were collected during the national lockdowns implemented from March to July 2020, and compared with data collected prior to the pandemic as part of an ongoing prospective surveillance initiative. Results Participants were 61% female, mean age 45.1 years. Almost half had one or more chronic disease, including diabetes (16%), hypertension (23%) or obesity (16%). Knowledge of the primary COVID-19 symptoms and transmission routes was high, but access to hygiene and personal protection resources was low (running water 63%, hand sanitisers 53%, paper tissues 48%). Key preventive measures were not widely adopted. Knowledge, access to, and uptake of COVID-19 prevention measures were low amongst people from disadvantaged socio-economic groups. Fifteen percent of people receiving treatment for chronic diseases reported loss of access to long-term medications; 40% reported symptoms suggestive of anxiety or depression. The prevalence of unemployment rose from 9.3% to 39.4% (P, Highlights • South Asia has become a major epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic and faces multiple challenges (health, economic, social). • Our findings identified important knowledge, access and uptake barriers to the prevention of COVID-19 in the region. • We demonstrated adverse impacts on chronic disease treatment, mental health, health behaviours, employment, finances. • There is a need for immediate large-scale action to close gaps in knowledge and access to essential resources for prevention. • Along with measures to safeguard economic production and mitigate socio-economic impacts on the young and the poor.
- Published
- 2021
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