Developing Countries Outshine Rich Ones When It Comes to COVID Resilience

As the COVID-19 pandemic began to sweep across the globe at the beginning of 2020, the outlook for the developing world was grim. It was feared the virus would rage through the third world—which has far fewer resources than wealthy countries—causing death and devastation.

Yet, in many cases, this is far from what has happened. Senegal, which has seven doctors per 100,00 citizens, has seen only 350 deaths from COVID. Uruguay has had fewer than 100 deaths—despite the fact that it shares a border with Brazil where the virus is rampant. While some low- and middle-income countries, including Mexico, India, and Turkey, have been hard hit, overall, the developing world has shown itself to be nimble in responding to the virus and has performed exceptionally well.

Early on, Senegal found a hospital bed for every COVID patient, while Uruguay launched an effective contact tracing program. Thailand, which has had just 60 deaths, instituted a countrywide testing program that the World Health Organization called “heroic.”

Part of the success in the developing world can be attributed to the lessons these countries have learned from previous epidemics—SARS in Asia, MERS in the Middle East, Ebola in Africa. As soon as the COVID pandemic hit, many developing countries screened incoming travelers and instituted contact tracing. The measures they took were low tech, low cost—and effective—such as mask wearing and temperature checks.

COVID has shone a light on the resilience of developing countries, and at the same time highlighted the shortcomings in healthcare delivery in richer countries. Costa Rica has invested heavily in public health and now ranks higher in healthcare delivery than the US, despite the fact that its GDP per capita is one-fifth that of the US’s. Vietnam has also made healthcare a priority, with 88% of its citizens receiving coverage. Both Vietnam and Costa Rica have weathered the pandemic far better than richer nations.