COVID-19 has had a significant impact on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) globally, and it is crucial that we work together to build a more resilient future. LMICs with weak health systems are struggling to cope with the pandemic, and the prevalence of comorbidities has increased the risk of direct and indirect consequences on our populations. The pandemic’s impact and associated restrictions on mental health have also raised widespread concern, with recent evidence showing an increase in mental health problems.

To share experiences of COVID-19, SAJIDA Foundation is hosting a webinar titled “COVID Landscape in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs): Lessons Learnt from Experience and Impact.”

The webinar will be inaugurated by Zahida Fizza Kabir, Chief Executive Officer of SAJIDA Foundation.

The first session, chaired by Zarina Nahar Kabir, a Social Science Working Group Member and Associate Professor at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences, and Society at Karolinska Institutet, will present research findings on the challenges of COVID-19 in LMICs from the perspectives of patients, healthcare providers, and family members. The session will also discuss post-COVID 19 mental and physical health impacts.

The second session, chaired by Ahmed Mushtaque Raza Chowdhury, Professor of Population and Family Health at Columbia University and Adviser to the James P. Grant School of Public Health at BRAC University, will present research findings on response to the COVID-19 pandemic in LMICs and lessons learned.