This divide leaves millions of people without the care they need. In this article, we’ll dive into what’s causing these health disparities in South Asia and explore some ways we can work towards better healthcare for everyone. Let’s take a closer look at how we can make things fairer and more accessible for all.

Health disparities within LMICs are [emerging/demographically Silent/mixed/both/emerging and demographically silent/apparent]. These disparities are due to sociodemographic and systemic factors meaning that different population groups have differential levels of healthcare accessing and human health. Although these problems are common in developing countries, they seem to be the most severe in South Asia.

Health inequities are inequalities in health status among different population groups that are unfair and not avoidable. Nations across Africa, Asia, and Latin America based on the congested urban and rural regions with inequalities of education, training, and generally economic misfortune are known as LMICs — the ‘and’ indicating that these are not sometimes (congested urban and rural areas) LMICs but LMICs literally all the time (congested urban and rural areas while failing to achieve the Millennium Development Goals). As noted, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that more than 85% of the global disease burden can be found in LMICs (WHO, 2020) highlighting the importance of targeted interventions to these communities.

Economic inequality is a primary driver of global health inequities. According to the World Bank, almost 10 per cent of the global population makes less than $1.90 a day and therefore lacks access to essential healthcare services (World Bank, 2020); Many LMICs essentially suffer from inadequate healthcare infrastructure. A new study in The Lancet suggests that 54 percent live in a city where they lack access to an essential health service, with rural communities more severely affected (The Lancet, 2018).

Health Inequities in South Asia

Countries in South Asia, which include India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri lank, face some of the worst health inequities. Its high population density, economic disparities, and socio-cultural factors compound its challenges.

• Economic Disparities: In south Asia, 24 percent of the people live on less than $3.20 per day. With financial constraint, access to essential healthcare becomes difficult, leading to higher rates of infectious diseases, malnutrition and mortality (World Bank, 2020).

• Healthcare Infrastructure Deficits: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) found in a study that rural India has only one doctor for every 10,000 people. In Bangladesh a similar survey found very high shortages of basic medical supplies and trained personnel in rural healthcare facilities (Bangladesh Health Watch, 2021).

• Educational Barriers: Low health literacy in South Asia is a poor women's problem, undemocratic that limits their ability to make informed health decisions. 57 percent of women in the region have basic health literacy (UNICEF, 2021).

• Gender Inequality: This is a big problem across gender. According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) in India, rural women have less access to maternal healthcare services than their urban counterparts and are more likely to die from the spread of disease, which includes maternal and infant mortality.

• Policy and Governance Challenges: Health inequities are further deepened by inadequate health policies and weak governance structures. Quality care is limited by corruption and by inadequate funding of healthcare services.

Vital statistical insights and key research findings highlight the pressing health challenges and disparities faced by populations in South Asia.

• Child Malnutrition and Diarrhea: UNICEF’s 2021 report reveals that nearly 40% of children in South Asia are affected by malnutrition and diarrhea, which significantly contribute to the region's high child mortality rates. These health issues are largely driven by inadequate nutrition and poor access to clean water and sanitation facilities.

• Maternal Mortality: The World Health Organization (WHO) reports a maternal mortality rate of 173 per 100,000 live births in Bangladesh, highlighting the critical need for better maternal healthcare. This figure points to ongoing challenges in providing adequate prenatal care, skilled birth attendance, and emergency obstetric services.

• Impact of Climate Change: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emphasizes that climate change is exacerbating health risks in South Asia. Increasing occurrences of waterborne diseases are linked to extreme weather events such as floods and droughts, which disrupt essential water and sanitation infrastructure, further threatening public health.

It is important to highlight that tackling health inequities in South Asia requires a multidimensional approach ensuring improvement of health care systems, improving education and dealing with social factors that affect health. Relying on these strategies and international partnering to reduce health disparities so that everyone has access to high quality healthcare, no matter their socioeconomic status. Not only will it improve health outcomes, but it also will help bring tremendous development to the region.

Written By:

Jarin Tasnim Rafa

Assistant Content Lead, BIIHR