Covid-19 in Rural Areas: A Policy Brief

T. Sundararaman and Ganapathy Murugan
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T. Sundararaman: Global Coordinator, Peoples Health Movement, and former Professor, School of Health Systems Studies, TISS, Mumbai
Ganapathy Murugan: Public Health Researcher, and former Executive Director, Public Health Resource Society

Journal, 2021, vol. 11, issue 2, 129-142

Abstract: The pandemic affects rural areas as much as it does urban areas, though the spread in rural areas began later than in urban area. However, because of greater health inequities and poor access to health care in rural areas, the consequences of the pandemic could be worse in rural areas. We draw on existing data from various sources including print media in order to examine and contextualise urban-rural differentials and the State’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. In the short run, protecting rural areas from further suffering caused by the pandemic requires a combination of a robust disease surveillance programme, an effective health communication strategy, and a public outreach programme that ensures universal vaccination. In the long run, health systems preparedness and resilience require greater public health expenditure, strengthening public health services, and ensuring that these services have adequate surge capacity and support from effective public health informatics.

Keywords: Covid-19 pandemic; rural India; urban-rural differentials; disease surveillance; vaccination; health systems preparedness; health systems resilience (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:fas:journl:v:11:y:2021:i:2:p:129-142

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