This book explores how social discrimination in South Asia contributes to health disparities and impedes well-being. Specifically, it addresses how marginalization shapes health outcomes, both under normal circumstances and specifically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Coming from diverse backgrounds and representing different academic disciplines, the authors have contributed a range of chapters drawing from quantitative and ethnographic material across South Asia. Chapters address reservation politics, tribal lifeways, Dalit exclusions from governmental institutions, Muslim ghettoization, gendered domestic violence, social determinants of health among migrant workers, and the pandemic fallout across South Asian society, among other subjects. Scholars draw on decades of experience and firsthand ethnographic fieldwork among affected communities. The chapters provide an innovative analysis, often in real time, of the human toll of casteism, classism, patriarchy, and religious intolerance—many set against the spectre of COVID-19. Many authors not only present social critiques but also offer specific policy recommendations. The book is of great interest to social scientists, public health practitioners, and policy advocates interested in addressing systemic inequalities and ensuring that future pandemics are not disproportionately felt by the most vulnerable.

India has committed itself to the pursuit of achieving the goal of Health For All by AD 2000 in accordance with the Alma-Ata declaration, 1978. There has been ample evidence to demonstrate that for the success of any health programme medical intervention alone will not bring about the desired results. Its success or failure depends, to a large extent, upon the interplay of several non-medical factors such as social, cultural, political, economic, and psychological. The role of these key factors in the domain of health care activities has been recently recognised by social scientists all over the world. It present a pioneering attempt in India to understand the relationship of social stratification and health care in a rural community from a sociological perspective.

Rated as a top 10 book about the COVID-19 pandemic by New Statesman: https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2021/07/best-books-about-covid-19-pandemic EPDF and EPUB available Open Access under CC-BY-NC- ND It has been claimed that we are ‘all in it together’ and that the COVID-19 virus ‘does not discriminate’. This accessible, yet authoritative book dispels this myth of COVID-19 as an ‘equal opportunity’ disease, by showing how the pandemic is a syndemic of disease and inequality. Drawing on international data and accounts, it argues that the pandemic is unequal in three ways: it has killed unequally, been experienced unequally and will impoverish unequally. These inequalities are a political choice: with governments effectively choosing who lives and who dies, we need to learn from COVID-19 quickly to prevent growing inequality and to reduce health inequalities in the future. COVID-19 is an unequal pandemic.

The book looked into how some people go through difficult times created by others in other to exist. Some individuals in the society consistently make living more uncomfortable for others directly or indirectly. Inequalities in life among human society is seen by some people as a norm while others grumble about it. In a democratic society, citizens assume freedom with the expectations that having representatives they elected by majority vote will protect their interests. The irony is that some elected officials representing and expected to protect and fight for the interest of those who voted them into office turn their back to pursue a different and personal interests. The book also looked into how epidemiology is viewed by scholars and the role it plays in public health. It further integrated epidemiology with evidence-based studies that shape public health policies and public health outcome with example in COVID19 pandemic.

The Inequality of COVID-19: Immediate Health Communication, Governance and Response in Four Indigenous Regions explores the use of information, communication technologies (ICTs) and longer-term guidelines, directives and general policy initiatives. The cases document implications of the failure of various governments to establish robust policies to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in a sample of advanced and low-income countries. Because the global institutions charged with managing the COVID-19 crisis did not work in harmony, the results have been devastating. The four Indigenous communities selected were the Navajo of the southwest United States, Siddi people in India, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia and the Maasai in East Africa. Although these are all diverse communities, spread across different continents, their base economic oppression and survival from colonial violence is a common denominator in hypothesizing the public health management outcomes. However, the research reveals that national leadership and other incoherent pandemic mitigation policies account for a significant amount of the devastation caused in these communities. Explores examples of pandemic mitigation practices in indigenous communities Provides case studies of importance of ICTs in health care in 21st century pandemic management protocols Presents real policy data collected from different continents from early days through the first year of the global pandemic

The complex answer to why the U.S. does so poorly in health measures has at its base one pervasive issue: the U.S. has by far the highest levels of inequality of all the rich countries. Inequality Kills Us All details how living in a society with entrenched hierarchies increases the negative effects of illnesses for everyone.