The additional burden that the pandemic has placed on public health systems is putting the lives of women and girls in Asia at increased risk. They are more likely to be excluded from health services, including COVID-19 testing and treatment, and the situation is only getting worse. Around 60% of women in Asia Pacific report facing additional barriers to seeing a doctor due to the pandemic.¹²⁴  This is despite the fact that they are putting their lives on the line daily in the fight against coronavirus: in Asia Pacific, women comprise more than 70% of healthcare workers and 80% of nurses.¹²⁵  The gendered impacts of the pandemic have been compounded by cuts and closures for reproductive health services. It is estimated that disruptions to health services in South Asia caused 228,000 additional child deaths and around 11,000 additional maternal deaths in 2020.¹²⁶  In India, it has been estimated that reduced access to contraception caused by lockdowns could lead to more than 800,000 unsafe abortions, which are the country’s third-highest cause of maternal deaths.¹²⁷  Save the Children has estimated that coronavirus put more than 250,000 more girls at risk of adolescent pregnancy across Asia Pacific in 2020.¹²⁸

It is also widely reported that violence against women and girls, particularly domestic violence, has intensified around the world during the pandemic, due in part to gaps in health and other support services.¹²⁹ Minority ethnic and religious groups also face a disproportionate risk of ill health and death as the pandemic continues. For example, in South Asian countries, people from lower castes tend to do the bulk of low-skilled but essential cleaning and sanitation work, often without adequate personal 21 protective equipment, which puts them at greater risk of contracting COVID19.¹³⁰ These same people face discrimination that can exclude them from accessing clean water and sanitation, as well as healthcare services. Such minorities are also more likely to be poor, and therefore lack the economic means to access adequate healthcare. In India, for example, an estimated 81% of Adivasis and 66% of Dalits live below the poverty line.

WUNRN

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