The Second COVID-19 Wave: India and Beyond
For much of 2020, India and several other South Asian countries defied expectations that they would experience unparalleled loss of life resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Many Indians thought that the pandemic was behind them. All of this dramatically began to change in March 2021. India’s hospitals and crematoria have been overwhelmed by illnesses and fatalities. Public health authorities worry that new, highly infectious variants are rampaging across India. India’s neighbors are also experiencing alarming increases in infections and fatalities. While accusations of Indian political mismanagement are rife, the current tragedy is the result of past and accumulating failures to fortify India’s public health system, which have been exacerbated by policies espoused by the current government. This panel aims to provide an opportunity to discuss past, current, and future challenges in India and other countries in South Asia.
This event is co-sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Global Engagement, the Asian Studies Program in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, and the Georgetown Global Health Initiative.