Pandemic Preparedness and Response to COVID-19 in Developing Countries
Author(s): Shivani Solanki, Abhishek Joshi*, K Himabindu Reddy and Ashok Mehendale
Abstract
Background: The situation in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) is unstable, unpredictable, and limited by resources. India, a developing country, has launched a multifaceted response to the COVID-19 epidemic. Regardless of their real pandemic readiness, developing nations performed well in adjusting to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. COVID-19 death rates and proportions are lower than that of the world at large, despite a rise in the total cases when compared to the remainder of the globe. The COVID-19 outbreak, on the other hand, has highlighted fundamental flaws in the health-care system and stretched it. The region is tormented by a growing double burden of communicable and non-communicable illnesses, limited or inadequate access to excellent health care, pervasive poverty, and malnutrition. To fight this, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Government of India, and the country's leading medical institutes in India issued a set of rules and standard operating procedures that were communicated via webcasts and multimedia modules.
Conclusion: Due to rising incidence of non-communicable diseases and a lack of strategic planning for modernising health systems, the benefit offered by these emerging nations' younger population statistics may not be lasting. The pandemic has offered a chance for introspection, improved preparedness for upcoming pandemics, and general public health promotion. To invest significant resources in preparing for forthcoming pandemics, strong leadership and political will are required. Developing a robust regional strategy for universal health coverage can improve social protection and reduce fatalities among the poor and vulnerable.