Introduction to the COVID-19: Learning Diary from India

ACCESS Health India has developed a learning diary which records India’s response to COVID-19 along with its understanding of the virus. The aim of the diary is to enable tracing of legislative, judicial, and social response to the epidemic at a country level, which will then allow for a reflection of where the government went wrong and prevent the same mistakes from happening in the future.

India’s response is not only interesting because it is one of the neighboring countries of China, the country where the virus was first observed, but also because it is a country already hurt by urban sprawl and disease, making it even more vulnerable to a virus such as COVID-19. However, despite its unfavorable conditions, India has been rather effective in containing the disease.

While the country was effective in restricting COVID-19 cases and deaths, the government has faced certain challenges. Thus, the learning diary also discusses potential future measures that India can implement to arise successfully from its current situation, and which will help build a more resilient health system.