Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer

Vol. 10 No. 3 (2022)
Journal Space and Culture, India

Perspective

Managing the Pandemic in the South Asian (SAARC) Countries

https://doi.org/10.20896/saci.v10i3.1262

Published 2022-11-28

  • Venkat Rao Pulla
    • ,
  • Aisha Shoukat
    • ,
  • Muhammad Jafar
    • ,
  • Md. Fakhrul Alam
    • ,
  • M.T.R. Shamini Attanayak
    • ,
  • Jabeen Mussarat
    • ,
  • Gyanendra Gautam
    • ,
  • Rachel Lafain
    • ,
  • Sanjay Prasad

Venkat Rao Pulla
Foundation Professor of Strengths-Based-Social Work Practice, Brisbane Institute of Strengths-Based Practice; Adjunct Senior Lecturer in the College of Arts, Society & Education, James Cook University, Inaugural Fellow, Australian College of Researchers & Life Member, Australian Institute of International Affairs

Aisha Shoukat
Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan

Muhammad Jafar
Lecturer, Department of Social Work, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan

Md. Fakhrul Alam
Associate Professor, Department of Social Work, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh

M.T.R. Shamini Attanayak
Director General (Acting) and Additional Director General (Academic), National Institute of Social Development, Ministry of Primary Industries and Social Empowerment, Sri Lanka

Jabeen Mussarat
Head of the Department of International Relations and Political Science, University of Lahore, Sargodha Campus, Pakistan

Gyanendra Gautam
Gyanendra Gautam Acting Service Delivery Manager, Centacare, Sunshine Coast, Australia

Rachel Lafain
Social Worker, Adelaide, Australia & Research Associate, Brisbane Institute of Strengths-based Practice &Field Education, University of South Australia

Sanjay Prasad
GIS Consultant, Director, SAMNE Associates Pvt. Limited, Delhi, & JICA Expert Team Member of “The Project for the Comprehensive Improvement of Environmental Sanitation in Varanasi

Abstract

This paper explores the coronavirus pandemic response from a South Asian perspective. When their case numbers were still relatively low, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries adopted lockdowns at the same time or before India did. On 24 March 2020, when there were just two confirmed cases, Nepal went into lockdown, and Sri Lanka locked down on 22 March, when there were 78 cases. India locked down the day after Nepal, with all countries imposing some form of restrictions on people’s movement. This paper draws its data from the first year of the pandemic that loomed in the SAARC nations. The regional cooperation provided by SAARC has allowed the sharing of resources and a strengthening of the region’s self-reliance. Notably, the commitment made by India to ensure its neighbours are supplied with vaccines, many of these donated. The eight-member SAARC states are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

This paper draws on the knowledge and perceptions of academics and social workers in the SAARC countries. It provides insight into the responses, impacts, vulnerabilities, and challenges faced by the region and in each specific country since the beginning of COVID-19. This paper also offers a discussion on vaccines, PPE, as well as the role of cooperation across the region. The relationship between India and the SAARC countries and its ‘neighbourhood first’ policy are also discussed.

Keywords

SAARC Countries, India COVID-19, Pakistan COVID-19, Bhutan COVID-19, Afghanistan COVID-19, Maldives COVID-19, Nepal COVID-19, Bangladesh COVID-19, Sri Lanka COVID-19

pdf

References

  1. ABC News. (2020, August 13). Floods leave one third of Bangladesh underwater and displace more than 1.5 million, raising coronavirus risk. ABC. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-13/bangladesh-floods-sees-a-third-of-nation-underwater-coronavirus/12555448
  2. Abdullah, M. (2021, January 5). Covid-19 2nd wave: Airports, quarantine centres failing to enforce strict health safety rules. Dhaka Tribune. https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2021/01/05/covid-19-2nd-wave-airports-quarantine-centres-failing-to-enforce-strict-health-safety-rules
  3. Afghanistan. (2022, September 17). COVID-19 epidemiological bulletin Afghanistan. https://www.emro.who.int/images/stories/afghanistan/COVID19_Weekly_Epidemiological_Bulletin_W37_2022.pdf?u
  4. Ahmad, I. (2020). COVID-19 and labour market implications for Pakistan. https://clr.org.pk/COVID-19-labour-market/
  5. Alam, M. F., Rabby, A. A., & Pulla, V. R. (2020). The outbreak of COVID-19, response, and the vulnerabilities of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change, 14(6), 259-284.
  6. Aljazeera. (2020, December 20). Nepal president dissolves parliament, elections set for next year. Aljazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/20/nepal-president-dissolves-parliament-elections-set-for-next-year
  7. Alvarenga, K. J., & Soar, F. V. (2020). COVID-19 and social protection in South Asia: Bhutan. International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth. ISSN 2318-9118. https://www.unicef.org/rosa/media/10071/file/Bhutan.pdf
  8. Al-Zaman, M. S. (2020). Healthcare crisis in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 103(4), 1357-1359. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.20-0826 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.20-0826
  9. Anwar, S., Nasrullah, M., & Hosen, M. J. (2020). COVID-19 and Bangladesh: Challenges and how to address them. Front Public Health, 8, 154-154. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2020.00154 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00154
  10. Bangladesh Directorate General of Health Services (2022, October 27). COVID-19 vaccination dashboard for Bangladesh. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. http://103.247.238.92/webportal/pages/covid19-vaccination-update.php
  11. Baniya, J., Bhattarai, S., Thapa B. J. & Pradhan, V. (2020). Covid-19 and Nepali labour migrants: impacts and responses. Centre for the Study of Labour and Mobility. https://www.ceslam.org/our-publications/covid-19-and-nepali-labour-migrants
  12. Banna, M. H. A., Sayeed, A., Kundu, S., Christopher, E., Hasan, M. T., Begum, M. R., . . . Khan, M. S. I. (2022). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of the adult population in Bangladesh: a nationwide cross-sectional study. International Journal of Environmental Health Research, 32(4), 850-861. doi:10.1080/09603123.2020.1802409 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09603123.2020.1802409
  13. Betteridge-Moes, M. (2020). Human trafficking persists during covid at Indo-Nepal border. SOAS University of London. https://study.soas.ac.uk/indo-nepal-border-human-trafficking-persists-amid-pandemic/
  14. Cancho, C. A. (2020, August 16). Mitigating the poverty implications of COVID-19 in Afghanistan. World Bank Blogs. https://blogs.worldbank.org/endpovertyinsouthasia/mitigating-poverty-implications-covid-19-afghanistan
  15. Chaulia, S. (2020, December 14). Indian-made COVID vaccines will save the world. Nikkei Asia. https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Indian-made-COVID-vaccines-will-save-the-world
  16. Chowdhury, S. R., Sunna, T. C., & Sanjoy, S. (2020). Response to COVID-19 in Bangladesh: Strategies to resist the growing trend of COVID-19 in a less restricted situation. Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health, 32(8), 471-472. doi:10.1177/1010539520951689 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1010539520951689
  17. Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal. (2020a, August 13). Revision of resumption date of scheduled flights. https://caanepal.gov.np/news-detail/post/revision-resumption-dare-scheduled-flights
  18. Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal. (2020b, August 31). Revision of suspension date of domestic scheduled flights. https://caanepal.gov.np/news-detail/post/revision-suspension-date-domestic-schedule-flights
  19. Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal. (2020c, December 21). Travel restrictions related to COVID-19. https://caanepal.gov.np/news-detail/post/travel-restriction-relaled-covid-l9
  20. Constable, P., & Hussain, S. (2021). Defying fears and skepticism, thousands in Pakistan volunteer for Chinese vaccine trials. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/pakistan-coronavirus-vaccine/2020/12/31/b2582d5e-4843-11eb-a9f4-0e668b9772ba_story.html
  21. Cousins, S. (2020). Afghanistan braced for second wave of COVID-19. World Report, 396(10264), 1716-1717. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)32529-0 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)32529-0
  22. Covaxin and Covishield: What we know about India's Covid vaccines. (2021, January 22). BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-55748124
  23. COVID-19 Crisis Management Centre. (2020). Bidesh bata Nepal phirta bhayeka nagarik haruko bibaran, miti 2077/10/08 gate samma (details on returnee from abroad, till 2077/10/08). https://ccmc.gov.np/ccmc_update/Details%20of%20Returnees%2010.09.pdf
  24. COVID-19. (n.d.). Bangladesh Directorate General of Health Services. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. COVID-19 vaccination dashboard for Bangladesh. http://103.247.238.92/webportal/pages/covid19-vaccination-update.php
  25. DanChurchAid. (DCA). (2020). Nepal: Covid-19 and flood response situation report no. XXVI, as of 28 September 2020.
  26. Devnath, P., Hossain, M. J., Emran, T. B., & Mitra, S. (2022). Massive third wave of COVID-19 outbreak in Bangladesh: a co-epidemic of dengue might worsen the situation. Future Virology, 10.2217/fvl-2021-0182. https://doi.org/10.2217/fvl-2021-0182 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2217/fvl-2021-0182
  27. Eusuf, M. A., & Rabi, M. R. I. (2020, September 23). Cushioning the educational fallout of Covid-19 in Bangladesh. The Daily Star. https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/news/cushioning-the-educational-fallout-covid-19-bangladesh-1965789
  28. Faaiq, A. (2021, February 4). China to donate additional 100,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine to Maldives. The Times of Addu. https://timesofaddu.com/2021/02/04/china-to-donate-additional-100000-doses-of-covid-19-vaccine-to-maldives/
  29. Finance Division. (2020). Socio-economic development in Bangladesh & stimulus packages to combat COVID-19. Dhaka: Finance Division, Ministry of Finance, Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. https://mof.portal.gov.bd/site/page/7a55fd35-6380-4c97-9419-5408afdfa87e/Socio-Economic-Development-in-Bangladesh-&-Stimulus-Packages-to-Combat-COVID-19
  30. Fruman, C., & Kaul, M. (2020, March 31). South Asia shows new spirit of collaboration to fight COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. World Bank Blogs. https://blogs.worldbank.org/endpovertyinsouthasia/south-asia-shows-new-spirit-collaboration-fight-covid-19-coronavirus-pandemic
  31. Government of Australia. (2020, October). Sri Lanka COVID-19 development response plan. https://www.dfat.gov.au/sites/default/files/covid-response-plan-sri-lanka.docx
  32. Government of Pakistan (2020, July 03). Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division Press Release. https://www.bisp.gov.pk/SiteImage/Misc/files/Ehsaas100Days-PressRelease_July%203.pdf
  33. Government of Pakistan (2022). Know about COVID-19. https://covid.gov.pk/
  34. Gul, A. (2020). Pakistan launches relief program for families suffering from COVID-19 shutdown. Voice of America. https://www.voanews.com/science-health/coronavirus-outbreak/pakistan-launches-relief-program-families-suffering-covid-19
  35. Gurubacharya, B. (2021, January 21). India gives 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Nepal. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/india-gives-1-million-doses-of-covid-19-vaccine-to-nepal/2021/01/21/b4b64d04-5bd2-11eb-a849-6f9423a75ffd_story.html
  36. Hadad-Zervos, F. (2020, December 11). Responding to gender-based violence in Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. World Bank Blogs. https://blogs.worldbank.org/endpovertyinsouthasia/responding-gender-based-violence-maldives-nepal-and-sri-lanka
  37. Hasan, M. T., Hossain, S., Saran, T. R., & Ahmed, H. U. (2020). Addressing the COVID-19 related stigma and discrimination: A fight against “infodemic” in Bangladesh. Minerva Psichiatrica, 61(4), 184-187. doi:10.31234/osf.io/qpbj7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.23736/S0391-1772.20.02088-9
  38. Hettiarachchi, D., Noordeen, N., Gamakaranage, C., Somarathne, R. B., & Jayasinghe, S. (2020). Ethical responses to the COVID-19 pandemic—lessons from Sri Lanka. Asian Bioethics Review, 3, 1-9. doi: 10.1007/s41649-020-00153-z DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41649-020-00153-z
  39. Hossain, M. M., Mazumder, H., Tasnim, S., Nuzhath, T., & Sultana, A. (2020). Geriatric health in Bangladesh during COVID-19: Challenges and recommendations. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 63(6-7), 724-727. doi:10.1080/01634372.2020.1772932 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01634372.2020.1772932
  40. Human & Inclusion. (n.d.). COVID-19 in Sri Lanka: HI supports more than 1,000 vulnerable families. https://www.hi-us.org/covid_19_in_sri_lanka_hi_supports_more_than_1_000_vulnerable_families
  41. Human Rights Watch. (2021). Pakistan Events of 2020. https://www.hrw.org/worldreport/2021/country-chapters/Pakistan
  42. Human Rights Watch. (2020). “I sleep in my own deathbed” violence against women and girls in Bangladesh: Barriers to legal recourse and support. https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/media_2020/10/bangladesh1020_web.pdf
  43. India – COVID 19 Vaccine Tracker. (n.d.). https://covid19.trackvaccines.org/country/india/
  44. Inequality of Opportunity in Asia and the Pacific: Pandemic Preparedness - Afghanistan. (2022, June 30). ReliefWeb. https://reliefweb.int/report/afghanistan/inequality-opportunity-asia-and-pacific-pandemic-preparedness
  45. International Labour Organization (ILO). (2020). COVID-19 labour market impact in Nepal. https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/---ilo-kathmandu/documents/briefingnote/wcms_745439.pdf
  46. International Monetary Fund. (2020). World economic outlook: a long and difficult ascent. https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/Issues/2020/09/30/world-economic-outlook-october-2020
  47. International Monetary Fund. (2021). Policy Response to COVID-19. https://www.imf.org/en/Topics/imf-and-covid19/Policy-Responses-to-COVID-19#P
  48. Islam, A. (2020, September 29). Why Bangladeshis no longer fear the coronavirus. Deutsche Welle. https://www.dw.com/en/bangladesh-coronavirus-no-fear/a-55091050
  49. Islam, A. (2021, April 14). Bangladesh faces vaccine shortage as India halts exports. Deutsche Welle. https://www.dw.com/en/bangladesh-india-coronavirus-vaccine/a-57200281
  50. Islam, M. T., Talukder, A. K., Siddiqui, M. N., & Islam, T. (2020). Tackling the COVID-19 pandemic: The Bangladesh perspective. Journal of Public Health Research, 9(4), 1794. doi:10.4081/jphr.2020.1794 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4081/jphr.2020.1794
  51. Kabir, H., Maple, M., & Usher, K. (2021). The impact of COVID-19 on Bangladeshi readymade garment (RMG) workers. Journal of Public Health, 43(1), 47–52. https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdaa126 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdaa126
  52. Karim, M. R., Islam, M. T., & Talukder, B. (2020). COVID-19’s impacts on migrant workers from Bangladesh: in search of policy intervention. World Development, 105123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105123 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105123
  53. Khan, S. (2020). Coronavirus: Pakistan pins its hopes on a Chinese vaccine. https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-pakistan-pins-its-hopes-on-a-chinese-vaccine/a-55882237
  54. Khan, Y. H., Mallhi, T. H., Alotaibi, N. H., Alzarea, A. I., Alanazi, A. S., Tanveer, N., & Hashmi, F. K. (2020). Threat of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Pakistan: the need for measures to neutralize misleading narratives. The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, 103(2), 603-604. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.20-0654
  55. Khatun, F. (2020, December 28). How effective have stimulus packages been? And what more should be done? The Daily Star. https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/macro-mirror/news/how-effective-have-stimulus-packages-been-2018197
  56. Maldives thanks India for $250 million support amid COVID-19 pandemic. (2020). The Hindu. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/maldives-thanks-india-for-250-million-support-amid-covid-19-pandemic/article32732746.ece
  57. Ministry of Finance. (2020). Budget speech of fiscal year 2020/21. https://www.mof.gov.np/uploads/document/file/Budget%20Speech%202020_20201118033431.pdf
  58. Ministry of Health and Population. (2020, January 2021). COVID-19 dashboard. https://covid19.mohp.gov.np/
  59. Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security. (2020). Kovid-19 ko bishwobyapi sankraman ko karan baidheshik rojgarika kramma alapatra pareka Nepali kaamdar ko udaar gari swadesh phirta garne sambandhi nirdeshika, 2077 (Directive for the repatriation of Nepali labour migrants stranded due to the covid-19, 2020). http://rajpatra.dop.gov.np/welcome/book/?ref=24157
  60. Ministry of Tourism. (2020). Maldives welcomes back first tourists [Press statement]. Republic of the Maldives. https://visitmaldives.s3.amazonaws.com/Arov0JYj/mds5nqxu.pdf
  61. Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizen, CARE Nepal and Save the Children. (2020). Report summary: Rapid gender analysis on COVID-19 Nepal, 2020.
  62. Nepal Rastra Bank. (2020). Monetary policy for FY 2020/21. https://www.nrb.org.np/contents/uploads/2020/09/Monetary-Policy-2020_21-Full-Text-English-Version.pdf
  63. Nepal, R. S. (2020, March 21). Partial lockdown from Monday. The Himalayan Times. https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/partial-lockdown-from-monday/
  64. Nepali Times. (2020, March 30). Nepal COVID-19 relief package. Nepali Times. https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-covid-19-relief-package/
  65. Official Website for Sri Lankan Response to COVID-19. (2020). Government allocates over 7.3 billion rupees in October to provide relief to the people during the quarantine process. https://covid19.gov.lk/news/general/government-allocates-over-7-3-billion-rupees-in-october-to-provide-relief-to-the-people-during-the-quarantine-process.html
  66. Ongmo, S., & Parikh, T. (2020, May 8). What explains Bhutan’s success battling COVID-19? The Diplomat. https://thediplomat.com/2020/05/what-explains-bhutans-success-battling-covid-19/
  67. Palden, T. (2020, September 9). Bhutan’s COVID-19 story. Kuensel. https://kuenselonline.com/bhutans-covid-19-story/
  68. Pandemic wipes out 3.57 lakh apparel jobs: study. (2021, January 24). The Daily Star. https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/pandemic-wipes-out-357-lakh-apparel-jobs-study-2032917
  69. Paul, A., Nath, T. K., Mahanta, J., Sultana, N. N., Kayes, A. S. M. I., Noon, S. J., . . . Paul, S. (2021). Psychological and livelihood impacts of COVID-19 on Bangladeshi lower income people. Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health, 33(1), 100-108. doi:10.1177/1010539520977304 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1010539520977304
  70. Paul, R. (2021). India's Modi gifts Bangladesh 1.2 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine. REUTERS. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-india-bangladesh-idUSKBN2BJ0KC
  71. Pokhrel, M. (2020, June 28). Locusts invading Nepal are more flighty. Nepali Times. https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/locusts-invading-nepal-are-more-flighty/
  72. Pradhan, T. R. (2020a, March 23). Nepal goes under lockdown for a week starting 6am tuesday. The Kathmandu Post. https://kathmandupost.com/national/2020/03/23/nepal-goes-under-lockdown-for-a-week-starting-6am-tuesday
  73. Pradhan, T. R. (2020b, July 22). Government decides to lift the four-month-long coronavirus lockdown, but with conditions. The Kathmandu Post. https://tkpo.st/2zkre5o
  74. Prasain, S. (2020, March 31). Visit Nepal 2020 called off, finally. The Kathmandu Post. https://kathmandupost.com/national/2020/03/31/visit-nepal-2020-called-off-finally
  75. Quilty, A. (2021, January 6.). Afghanistan’s unseen Covid crisis. The Interpreter. https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/afghanistan-s-unseen-covid-crisis
  76. Rabbi, A. R. (2020, September 29). 4 women raped every day on average in Bangladesh amid Covid-19 pandemic. Dhaka Tribune. https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2020/09/29/4-women-raped-every-day-on-average-during-coronavirus-pandemic
  77. Ruszczyk, H. A., Rahman, M. F., Bracken, L. J., & Sudha, S. (2021). Contextualizing the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on food security in two small cities in Bangladesh. Environment and Urbanization, 33(1), 239-254. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0956247820965156 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0956247820965156
  78. Shah, R. T., Ahammed, T., Anjum, A., Chowdhury, A. A., & Suchana, A. J. (2020). Finding the real COVID-19 case-fatality rates for SAARC countries. MedRXiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.10.24.20218909 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bsheal.2021.03.002
  79. Sharma, S. (2020). Twenty five years old Samrit Kharel had a fifteen minute debate in the Supreme Court of Nepal. Setopati. https://www.setopati.com/politics/227149
  80. Sharma, S., & Agnimitra, N. (2020). Migrant labour and the pandemic-media representation. Special Edition: COVID-19 Life Beyond. International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change. https://www.ijicc.net/images/Vol_14/Iss_6/PUL010_Sharma_2020_R.pdf
  81. Shrestha, P. M. (2020, November 22). With just Rs1 billion in account, most of Rs. 50 billion fund to aid pandemic-hit sectors may be foreign loans. The Kathmandu Post. https://tkpo.st/3pN5QG6
  82. Shrestha, R., Shrestha, S., Khanal, P., & Bhuvan, K. (2020). Nepal’s first case of COVID-19 and public health response. Journal of Travel Medicine, 27(3). doi: 10.1093/jtm/taaa024 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/taaa024
  83. Sifat, R. I. (2020). The effect of COVID-19 on hijra (third gender) people in Bangladesh. The Lancet Psychiatry, 7(12), 1015-1016. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30464-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30464-8
  84. South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). (2020). About SAARC. https://www.saarc-sec.org/index.php/about-saarc/about-saarc
  85. South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). (2021a). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) - SAARC region: Updates. http://www.covid19-sdmc.org/updates
  86. South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). (2021b). COVID19 emergency fund. http://covid19-sdmc.org/covid19-emergency-fund
  87. Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority. (2021). Updates on COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019). https://srilanka.travel/covid19/
  88. State Bank of Pakistan (2020). COVID-19 Monetary Policy. https://www.sbp.org.pk/COVID2/Monetary.html
  89. Sultana, F., & Reza, H. M. (2020). Are SAARC countries prepared to combat COVID-19 to save young, working-age population? AIMS Public Health, 7(3): 440–449. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2020036 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3934/publichealth.2020036
  90. The Express Tribune (2021). China to 'speed up' export of -19 vaccine to Pakistan. https://tribune.com.pk/story/2281061/china-to-speed-up-export-of-covid-19-vaccine-to-pakistan
  91. The Himalayan Times (THT) Online. (2021, January 24). COVID-19 vaccination drive to commence from Wednesday in Nepal. The Himalayan Times. https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/covid-19-vaccination-drive-to-commence-from-wednesday-in-nepal/
  92. Uddin, M. (2020, June 13). Effects of the pandemic on the education sector in Bangladesh. The Financial Express. https://www.thefinancialexpress.com.bd/views/effects-of-the-pandemic-on-the-education-sector-in-bangladesh-1592061447
  93. UNAIDS. (2020). Sex workers in Bangladesh: building resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/featurestories/2020/may/20200513_sex-workers-bangladesh
  94. UNHCR. (2020). Bangladesh Rohingya refugee situation: COVID-19 Response 1–31 December 2020. UNHCR-The UN refugee agency. https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/UNHCR%20COVID19%20Update%20December%20-%20Bangladesh.pdf
  95. United Nations Development Program (UNDP). (2020). Rapid assessment of socio economic impact of COVID-19 in Nepal. https://www.undp.org/nepal/publications/rapid-assessment-socio-economic-impact-covid-19-nepal
  96. United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). (2020). Report of high-level policy dialogue on COVID-19 and South Asia: Socio-economic impacts, national strategies and subregional cooperation for building back better. https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/Key%20Highlights%20HLPD%20on%20COVID-19%20and%20South%20Asia.pdf
  97. Wang, C., Wang, D., Abbas, J., Duan, K., & Mubeen, R. (2021). Global financial crisis, smart lockdown strategies, and the COVID-19 spillover impacts: A global perspective implications from Southeast Asia. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.643783
  98. World Bank. (2020a). Poverty. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/poverty/overview
  99. World Bank. (2020b). Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 response: Saving lives today, preparing for tomorrow. https://www.worldbank.org/en/results/2020/10/21/sri-lanka-covid-19-response-saving-lives-today-preparing-for-tomorrow
  100. World Bank. (2020c). World Bank support for country access to COVID-19 vaccines. https://www.worldbank.org/en/who-we-are/news/coronavirus-covid19/world-bank-support-for-country-access-to-covid-19-vaccines
  101. World Bank. (2022). Long-standing structural challenges pose risks to Pakistan’s sustained growth. World Bank Bi-Annual Pakistan Development Update Report. https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2022/04/19/long-standing-structural-challenges-pose-risks-to-pakistan-s-sustained-growth-world-bank-bi-annual-pakistan-development-
  102. World Data. (2021). Average income around the world. https://www.worlddata.info/average-income.php
  103. World Health Organization (WHO). (2020a). COVID-19 in Pakistan: WHO fighting tirelessly against the odds. https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/covid-19-in-pakistan-who-fighting-tirelessly-against-the-odds.
  104. World Health Organization (WHO). (2020b). Maldives response to COVID-19. https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/maldives/covid-19-sitrep-14-june-2020.pdf?sfvrsn=a9ee4c83_2
  105. World Health Organization (WHO). (2021). WHO Bangladesh COVID-19 morbidity and mortality weekly update (MMWU): 24 January 2021/Vol. No 48. https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/searo/bangladesh/covid-19-who-bangladesh-situation-reports/who_covid-19-update_48_20210125.pdf?sfvrsn=29548019_7

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.