India's neighbours beat first wave, but Covid-19 cases are rising again

When Prime Minister Imran Khan addressed Pakistan last week, he thanked higher powers for sparing his country the damage Covid-19 wreaked on neighboring India. While the boast wasn’t unfounded, concerns are growing that new waves emerging around the world could yet devastate the rest of South Asia.
 

“God saved us from disaster,” Khan said in his six-minute speech. “We came out much better.”

The contrasting impact across South Asia has been striking despite sharing common traits of young populations spread across densely packed cities and expansive hinterlands that struggle to access basic health care. With roughly 1.4 billion people, India