The Devastating Effects of COVID-19 in India
The COVID-19 pandemic has had catastrophic effects for many countries around the world, but none more so than India, the world’s second most populated country. In the last few months, the COVID-19 Delta variation of the virus has crippled the entire country creating a second-wave crisis.
Loss of Life - According to The New York Times, the total number of COVID-19 deaths in India is being grossly undercounted. The official numbers shared by the Indian government state that there are only 390,000 confirmed deaths while there are 30 million confirmed cases, with over 300,000 new cases being reported each day. Many media outlets and scientists believe that the death toll is 2-3 times higher than what is being reported and could be somewhere between 600,000 to 1.6 million, based on the number of cases and the infection mortality rate. Whether reported or not, COVID-19 deaths continue to rise in India due to a shortage of nurses, doctors, and other healthcare professionals as well as a poor government response, limited hospital beds, and low supplies of crucial medical supplies like oxygen and ventilators.
Economic Impact - Once one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, COVID-19 has crippled India’s economy, with the country's GDP contracting 7.3% since the beginning of the pandemic. This is even more devastating because India’s GDP averages 7% per year. India’s middle class has also rapidly shrunk because of the economic ravages brought on by the pandemic, resulting in 75 million Indians being pushed into poverty. India now represents 60% of the global increase in poverty since the pandemic began, highlighting the devastation brought on by the effects of COVID-19.
In response to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis in India, Tiyara launched COVID-19 Recovery Scholarships to support financially vulnerable students who have lost their parents during the pandemic. Over 70% of our current students are pursuing health-related education like nursing and radiography to shore up the desperately needed healthcare infrastructure in India. You can help make a difference in the life of a student by putting them through college and, at the same time, help India build its healthcare system by contributing to this cause today!