Association of Socioeconomic and Demographic Factors With COVID-19 Related Health Outcomes in SAARC Nations

ABSTRACT

COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped our world in a timescale much shorter than what we can understand and is now a major global health threat. As there was no preparedness on this virus, authorities around the world took restrictive policy measures to control the spread to ensure the wellbeing of the people. This pandemic affected both developed and underdeveloped countries equally. Moreover, existing socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of the countries may be contributing to the variation in health outcomes between countries. This study aims to analyse the influence of socioeconomic and demographic factors on COVID-19 related health outcomes in SAARC nations. The study is important as the objectives behind SAARC are regional integration and economic development of its member countries. Panel regression analysis and Negative binomial regression are used to identify country specific factors that are associated with COVID-19 related Case Fatality Rate (CFR) and count data, such as, daily cases and active cases, respectively. The findings of the study indicate that increasing CFR are associated with countries having higher cardiovascular death rates, diabetes prevalence, health expenditure (percentage of GDP) and life expectancy. It is also found that co-morbidities such as cardiovascular disease, Tuberculosis and diabetes prevalence are associated with increased national caseloads and mortality, respectively. The study may help government to evaluate policies that can aid in managing the effects of the pandemic by utilizing resources and capabilities in an efficient way.