I don't focus enough on other countries besides US/Ukraine this pandemic, and I should rectify that.
I mentioned how Peru is leading the world in excess deaths this pandemic. This is a good BMJ article on some of the reasons why that is.
One of the main reasons is the country's underfunded and low capacity health system. It is almost a certainty some of these excess deaths are from a health system that collapsed under strain.
Peru's health spending is 5% of its GDP. The US on the other hand spends a remarkable 18% of its GDP on health. The country only has 1,656 ICU beds for its population of 33 million or 1 ICU bed per 200k. One of the lowest ICU capacities in the world. The US on the other hand has 59 ICU beds per 200k. To make matters worse the country has very little testing capacity or PPE.
The demographics and socioeconomic factors also are likely to blame. Peru has a significant amount of poverty and housing is dense and multigenerational. Around 75% of the labor force works informally making it a challenge to social distance while still making income. With 40% of the population without access to a refrigerator, daily trips to the market for food are common. In Lima, studies of the people at the markets showed 86% positivity in May.
The political environment is also likely to blame. The government provided income support during the pandemic to those that lost income from the pandemic restrictions, but 38% of the adult population does not have bank accounts. Food assistance came late and inadequately. The country has had four Presidents in the last three years, with three of them in the last four months. It has had four health ministers over the course of the pandemic. In addition, the impeachment of President Vizcarra in November 2020 set off a series of mass protests.
