This explainer is part of a Local Democracy Research Centre paper on global health inequalities. Read Still unequal: dealing with health inequalities through the pandemic and beyond
The Scottish Government published in June 2021 findings into the impact of Covid-19 on health inequalities across Scotland. Those living in the most deprived areas were more than twice as likely to be admitted to hospital, and twice as likely to die from COVID-19.
Covid-19 cases, hospitalisations and deaths by deprivation level – 9 June 2021
People from ethnic minority backgrounds have also been disproportionately affected. National Records of Scotland analysed deaths from Covid-19 in the first wave of infection in 2020, and found that people of South Asian background were twice as likely to die compared to white people. When Public Health Scotland analysed data looking at the second wave of infection, they found that people of South Asian background were three times more likely to die or be hospitalised than white people.
Glasgow study
In August 2021 Glasgow Centre for Population Health published Health in a Changing City: Glasgow 2021 Glasgow City Council provided them with data and/or helped with preparation of the report. (Whyte B, Young M, Timpson K. Health in a changing city: Glasgow 2021. A study of changes in health, demographic, socioeconomic and environmental factors in Glasgow over the last 20 years. Glasgow; GCPH: 2021).
The report documents trends in demographic, socioeconomic, environmental, and health indicators within Glasgow, and in comparison to other places. It considers what the evidence is so far of the impact of Covid-19 in the city. It makes recommendations for how ‘we should build back better, greener and fairer’.
