ABSTRACT
The coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic that rampaged the earth also brought the epidemiological battle to Pakistan’s doorstep, where it was thought that structural weaknesses would exact a particularly severe toll. Yet 6 months after the first recorded case, Pakistan’s Covid-19 toll stood far below what had been feared early on. Pakistan’s success was particularly striking when compared with the US, India, and Brazil. Why was the pandemic’s toll comparatively mild in this South Asian country? Looking at the first 6 months of the pandemic (Feb-Aug, 2020), this chapter seeks to tease out possible causal factors, some structural in nature, others dependent on cultural norms, while still others being a function of strong policy approaches. The findings suggest that a combination thereof helped stem the outbreak and mitigate damage to lives and livelihoods.
