The French news and current affairs public radio station RFI reported a rapid rise in mental illness and suicides in India.

India’s harsh coronavirus lockdown has seen a spike in cases of mental illness, with experts warning that distress calls and reports of suicidal tendencies had been alarmingly high since the confinement began on 24 March. The Indian Psychiatry Society (IPS) said a recent study showed a 20 percent rise in mental illness cases, affecting at least one in five Indians. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stringent Covid-19 lockdown, which is to begin lifting on 18 May, is one major reason, according to IPS. The survey claims that people have been living in fear of losing their jobs and businesses, due to the lockdown resulting in mental distress.

“The lockdown has had a massive impact on the lifestyle of people. They are staying indoors with limited resources. They are now suffering from anxiety and panic attacks,” says Manu Tiwari, a mental health and behavioural sciences expert.

Furthermore, India has the largest Tuberculosis burden in the world, with over 2 million people with the disease. The WHO and public health experts are very concerned about the impact of the lockdown on TB detection and possible increased cases. This could negatively impact millions of people.

Another critical disease that has been sidelined during the focus on COVID19. As of May 16th, India has had 2,752 deaths due to Covid-19 in a population of 1.3 billion.