ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the decades of progress achieved by countries on strengthening health and food systems and improving the economic conditions of the population. While income losses and high inflation meant less affordability of household's food and nutrition necessities, supply disruptions caused by movement restrictions prevented the uptake of essential health services. The consequences were aggravated for the left-behind groups as their old vulnerabilities were exacerbated and new vulnerabilities were formed. The study assessed the direct and indirect health implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on traditionally and newly disadvantaged communities. The direct health impacts are reflected in COVID-19 testing, infections, and hospitalizations, and the indirect implications consist of two dimensions: food security and maternal and child health. Results from a primary survey of nine disadvantaged groups in Bangladesh indicate a significant reduction in food intake, a rise in non-institutional births, and inequalities in COVID-19 vaccine uptake among the traditionally and newly disadvantaged groups.
