Pandemic, informality, and vulnerability : impact of COVID-19 on livelihoods in India

We analyze findings from a large-scale survey of around 5000 respondents across 12 states of India to study the impact of COVID-19 pandemic containment measures (lockdown) on employment, livelihoods, food security and access to relief measures. We find a massive increase in unemployment, an equally dramatic fall in earnings among informal workers, large increases in food insecurity, depletion of savings and patchy coverage of relief measures. Two-thirds of our respondents lost work. The few informal workers who were still employed during the lockdown experienced more than a fifty percent drop in their earnings. Even among regular wage workers, half received either no salary or reduced salary during the lockdown. Almost eighty percent of surveyed households experienced a reduction in their food intake and a similar percentage of urban households did not have enough money to pay next month's rent. We also use a set of logistic regressions to identify how employment loss and food intake varies with individual and household level characteristics. We find that migrants and urban Muslims are significantly worse off with respect to employment and food security. Among employment categories, self-employed workers were more food secure. The Public Distribution System (PDS) system was seen to have the widest reach among social security measures. However, even under PDS, 16 percent of vulnerable urban households did not have access to government rations. Further, half of the respondents reported not receiving any cash transfers (state or central). We conclude that much more is needed in the way of direct fiscal support that has been announced thus far by state and central governments in India

State of Working India 2021: One Year of Covid-19

This report documents the impact of one year of Covid-19 in India, on jobs, incomes, inequality, and poverty. It also examines the effectiveness of policy measures that have thus far been undertaken to offer relief and support. Finally, it offers some policy suggestions for the near and medium-term future.When the pandemic hit, the Indian economy was already in the most prolonged slowdown in recent decades. On top of this, there were legacy problems such as a slow rate of job creation and lack of political commitment to improving working conditions which trapped a large section of the workforce without access to any employment security or social protection.Our analysis shows that the pandemic has further increased informality and led to a severe decline in earnings for the majority of workers resulting in a sudden increase in poverty. Women and younger workers have been disproportionately affected. Households have coped by reducing food intake, borrowing, and selling assets. Government relief has helped avoid the most severe forms of distress, but the reach of support measures is incomplete, leaving out some of the most vulnerable workers and households. We find that additional government support is urgently needed now for two reasons - compensating for the losses sustained during the first year and anticipating the impact of the second wave

Effects of Bosutinib Treatment on Renal Function in Patients With Philadelphia Chromosome-Positive Leukemias

Abstract Background The purpose of the study was to assess renal function in patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive leukemias receiving bosutinib or imatinib. Patients and Methods Patients received first-line bosutinib (n = 248) or imatinib (n = 251; phase III trial), or second-line or later bosutinib (phase I/II trial; n = 570). Adverse events (AEs) and changes from baseline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and serum creatinine were assessed. Results Time from the last patient's first dose to data cutoff was ≥ 48 months. Renal AEs were reported in 73/570 patients (13%) receiving second-line or later bosutinib, and in 22/248 (9%) and 16/251 (6%) receiving first-line bosutinib and imatinib, respectively. eGFR in patients receiving bosutinib declined over time with more patients developing Grade ≥ 3b eGFR ( 2 according to the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease method) with second-line or later bosutinib (139/570, 24%) compared with first-line bosutinib (26/248, 10%) and imatinib (25/251, 10%); time to Grade ≥ 3b eGFR was shortest with second-line or later bosutinib. Similar proportions of patients receiving second-line or later bosutinib (74/139, 53%), first-line bosutinib (15/26, 58%), and first-line imatinib (15/25, 60%) improved to ≥ 45 mL/min/1.73 m 2 eGFR as of the last follow-up. In a regression analysis, first-line treatment with bosutinib versus imatinib was not a significant predictor of Grade ≥ 3b eGFR. Conclusion Long-term bosutinib treatment is associated with an apparently reversible decline in renal function with frequency and characteristics similar to renal decline observed with long-term imatinib treatment. Patients with risk factors for Grade ≥ 3b eGFR should be monitored closely

State of working India 2021 : one year of Covid-19

This report documents the impact of one year of Covid-19 in India, on jobs, incomes, inequality, and poverty. It also examines the effectiveness of policy measures that have thus far been undertaken to offer relief and support. Finally, it offers some policy suggestions for the near and medium-term future. When the pandemic hit, the Indian economy was already in the most prolonged slowdown in recent decades. On top of this, there were legacy problems such as a slow rate of job creation and lack of political commitment to improving working conditions which trapped a large section of the workforce without access to any employment security or social protectio

Evaluation of the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity of fixed dose combination: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in experimental animals

Background: In India, a number of fixed dose drug combinations of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID′s) are available, often as over-the-counter products. These combinations are being prescribed too. Evidence for efficacy of NSIAD fixed dose combination is lacking. Objectives: The current study was undertaken to assess the analgesic and anti-inflammatory efficacy of these combinations over their individual components. Materials and Methods: The study used three NSAIDs viz; paracetamol, ibuprofen and diclofenac sodium, alone or in combination with paracetamol. Animals were divided into six groups with six animals in each group. Analgesic activity was tested by writhing test and paw edema model was used to assess the anti-inflammatory activity. The test drugs were administered orally 30 min prior to injecting 0.6% solution of glacial acetic acid intraperitoneally for writhing test. For paw edema test, after 30 min of drugs administration, animals were injected with 0.1 ml of 1% carrageenan in subplanter region for inducing inflammation. Paw volume was again measured at baseline and after 3 h of subplanter injection of 1% carrageenan. Results: The analgesic and the anti-inflammatory activity of paracetamol and ibuprofen combination were significantly greater than the individual agents when used alone. However, no significant difference in the analgesic or anti-inflammatory activity was found between diclofenac sodium and its combination with paracetamol. It was observed that diclofenac sodium was the most efficacious of the analgesics tested. Combining paracetamol with diclofenac did not show superior analgesic activity compared to diclofenac alone (P = 0.18). Conclusion: Combining paracetamol with ibuprofen enhances analgesic/anti-inflammatory activity over their individual component but potentiation of analgesic activity of diclofenac was not seen when paracetamol was added to it

Pandemic, informality and vulnerability: Impact of COVID-19 on livelihoods in India

We are grateful to the team of researchers at the Center for Sustainable Employment at Azim Premji University who conducted the survey. The team includes Mridhula Mohan, Sanjana Rajashekar, Zaeen D’Souza, Sravan Pallapothu, Neha Joshi, and Adithi Rao. We greatly acknowledge their efforts in the project and several others who provided their valuable feedback at numerous stages of the project. We are particularly grateful to Deepti Goel, Arjun Jayadev, Rajendran Narayanan, and Anand Srivastava for several discussions and for their comments and feedback. We acknowledge Azim Premji University and the Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiatives for their support and funding for the project. We are thankful to the staff at the various civil society organizations who conducted the interviews and the numerous student volunteers from Azim Premji University

Pandemic, informality, and vulnerability: impact of COVID-19 on livelihoods in India

We analyze findings from a large-scale survey of around 5000 respondents across 12 states of India, conducted during the months of April and May 2020, to study the impact of COVID-19 pandemic containment measures (lockdown) on employment, livelihoods, and food security. Given the predominantly informal nature of employment and critically low investment in State-funded social security nets, the impact, albeit unprecedented in its scale, was not entirely unexpected in its nature. We find that around two-thirds of respondents reported losing employment during the lockdown, and those that continued to be employed witness a sharp decline in earning. Further, with critically low levels of social security net, the loss in employment quickly translated into food and livelihoods insecurity. Almost 80 per cent of households experienced a reduction in food intake, more than 60 per cent did not have enough money for a week’s worth of essentials, and a third took a loan to cover expenses during the lockdown. We also use a set of logistic regressions to identify how employment loss and reduction in food intake varied with individual and household-level characteristics. Based on our analysis, we argue that while there is an urgent need to undertake effective measures to support livelihoods and facilitate an economic recovery, we also highlight the necessity to critically evaluate the current development trajectory, whereby decades-long high economic growth has failed to translate into more secure livelihoods for a vast majority of the workforce