In a recent report by the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) it was found that British Pakistanis are almost three times more likely to die from the COVID-19 virus in the United Kingdom (UK) as compared to the majority community in the country, reports Geo News.
The IFS report found that per capita deaths among the minority Caribbean population in English hospitals are three times those of the majority British population.
Geo
Why is the number of deaths so high in British Pakistanis? There are a number of reason for this. The first being that 90% of Pakistani men work in healthcare, hence they’re more likely to contract the virus. Another one of the reasons is the number of Pakistanis already having certain health problems. According to the IFS report 1.5% of British-Pakistanis above the age of 45 suffer from a heart condition which makes them more vulnerable. British Pakistanis also amount up to 18.2% of the total ‘key workers’ in the UK. Key workers include National Health Service (NHS) staff, Social workers, transport workers, police, journalists and delivery workers. Economic factor Professor Lucinda Platt, from the London School of Economics and the report’s co-author, commented: “There are striking differences in economic vulnerability between ethnic groups. Bangladeshi men are four times as likely as White British men to have jobs in shutdown industries, with Pakistani men nearly three times as likely; and household savings are lower than average among Black Africans, Black Caribbeans and Bangladeshis. By contrast, Indians and the largely foreign-born Other White group do not seem to be facing disproportionate economic risks.” Also read: Sudan to outlaw female genital mutilation but it will take time to eradicate practice entirely