Socioeconomic inequities of COVID-19 mortality in vulnerable Comunas of the City of Buenos Aires

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the gap in health inequities was exposed and increased, showing how different vulnerable groups were affected. Our aim was to examine the correlation between an area-based health inequity index and mortality due to COVID-19 in people 60 years old or above in the City of Buenos Aires in 2020. We developed a Health Inequity Composite Index (HICI), including six core indicators. Each indicator value per Comuna was first standardized to a Z-score. All six Z-scores were summed into a final composite Z-score to rank the Comunas from lowest to highest social inequities. Comunas from the northern part of the city had lower inequities whereas those in the south had higher levels of inequities. COVID-19 age-standardized mortality rate in people 60 years or above was higher in the Comunas from the south and lower in those from the north. Finally, we found a strong positive correlation (Rho = 0.83, p < 0.0001 CI95% = 0.65-0.99) between HICI and age-standardized mortality rates from COVID-19 in people 60 years or above. Our finding of a strong correlation between the levels of health inequity and mortality calls for a concerted effort in narrowing or eliminating existing inequities.

Automated summary

During the COVID-19 pandemic in Buenos Aires, a strong positive correlation was found between the levels of health inequity and mortality rate due to COVID-19 in people aged 60 or above. Comunas in the southern part of the city had higher social inequities and higher age-standardized mortality rates, while the opposite was observed in those in the northern part. This study highlights the importance of addressing and reducing health inequities to minimize COVID-19-related mortality.