D5 - COVID-19 related Evidence in Policymaking: Perspective from Development Partners
- COVID-19 has shown how important it is to have access to robust and disaggregated data to help us better understand how the pandemic is impacting diverse populations.
- Countries in South Asia need stronger testing and contact-tracing data to better understand where and how the disease is moving and create strong models and predictions.
- South Asian countries need to focus on looking at the future challenges rather than merely providing immediate relief to people by investing in programmes that reduce vulnerability and lead to sustained improvements in livelihoods.
- Given the rapid spread of COVID-19, relying on dependable, up-to-date data and evidence-based policy making is of vital importance (especially for public health policies) to predict demographic impacts. Such data should also be gender desegregated.
- Policy decisions must be based on an integrated top-down and bottom-up framework.
- Local stakeholders should be included in the design phase of disaster preparedness policymaking.
- South Asian governments must invest in skills development of teachers, religious clerics, village elders and primary healthcare workers.
- COVID-19 has proven that investing in human capital development by increasing public spending on healthcare and education has long-term positive results.
- South Asian governments ought to run informational campaigns on best practices with respect to COVID-19 using digital resources.
- Every regional government’s top priority should be on adopting disaster preparedness and building resilience across the entire governance architecture and developing plans that depend on reliable and comprehensive data collection.
- Optimal use of existing data being collected for and about COVID-19 needs to be investigated.
- There is a dire need to address the inequalities existing in provision of digital healthcare services.
- Public sector bodies and entities must work in coordination with the donor organizations for evidence-based data collection. In this case, duplication in data collection must be addressed.
- Provision of oxygenated beds and cylinders to health facilities is mandatory. Both private and public sector can play a pivotal role in this area.
- Post-COVID-19, government and civil society must address the mental health issues which the pandemic has caused.
- Government collected data should be easily accessible.
