Council researchers were the first to develop a composite measure of community-level vulnerability to COVID-19 in India. This vulnerability index is helping the government in its efforts to effectively respond to the evolving pandemic. Council researchers are also advising the Lancet COVID-19 Commission on priorities to suppress the second wave of COVID-19 in India.
Spotlight
A Vulnerability Index to Aid the COVID-19 Response
In a study in The Lancet Global Health, Population Council researchers present a much-needed state and district-level vulnerability index designed to aid government efforts to effectively respond to the fast-developing COVID-19 epidemic in India. Authored by Rajib Acharya and Akash Porwal, this is the first study to develop a composite measure of community-level vulnerability to COVID-19 in India.
Rapidly Assessing Women and Children’s Situations in Bihar During COVID-19
PC Institute (India), with support from UNICEF India, looked at key findings from data collected from a rapid, longitudinal study on women and children in Bihar, and published published seven COVID-19 policy briefs on: adoption of preventive practices; awareness and use of social protection; impacts on nutrition; family planning; livelihood, employment, and financial resources; effects on migrant households; and potential contributions of Self-Help Groups.
Highlights
Watch a webinar from June 2020 where Population Council researchers share their experience conducting research during the COVID-19 pandemic in India and their insights for ensuring research uptake.
Read a rapid evidence brief from the Evidence Consortium on Women’s Groups (ECWG), which presents the potential implications of the pandemic and related lockdowns for women’s groups in India, Nigeria, and Uganda. This work is co-led by the American Institutes for Research and Sapna Desai of the Population Council.