In a recent study published in the journal Science Advances , researchers analyzed survey data from individuals in India to understand mortality and life expectancy during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. They found that life expectancy in India fell by 2.6 years in 2020, with 1.
19 million excess deaths, disproportionately affecting younger age groups, females, and marginalized social groups. Background The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant global mortality while reducing global life expectancy. In high-income countries (HICs), robust surveillance systems recorded notable declines in life expectancy and increased disparities across socioeconomic status and race.
However, the extent and social variation of COVID-19 deaths in low- and middle-income countries remain poorly understood due to limited resources and inadequate health response and data quality. Given that India is the world's most populated country with a highly diverse demographic, accurately estimating pandemic mortality is crucial for understanding the global impact of the pandemic. Therefore, researchers in the present study estimated changes in life expectancy by social group and gender from 2019 to 2020 in India, where it is estimated that one-third of the global excess deaths from the pandemic may have occurred.
Using high-quality data from India's National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5), the researchers aimed to address the current gaps in knowledge caused by incomplete data. They also es.