Covid-19 has harmed poorest countries the most across Asia Pacific, says OECD.

The covid-19 pandemic has highlighted existing gaps in healthcare within the Asia Pacific region and reinforced differences between rich and poor, a report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has concluded.1 The pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on the most vulnerable populations, said officials from the OECD and the World Health Organization in the foreword to the report. The report outlines the challenges the pandemic has posed to improving health outcomes in low and middle income countries in the region in line with sustainable development goals. The biennial study monitors 27 countries and territories in the region—ranging from Australia and New Zealand to China, India, Myanmar, and Vietnam. These are classified …