BAME communities continue to experience a high burden of morbidity and mortality both in the community and on the frontline as a result of Covid-19. Compounding this is the increasing concern about the disproportionate impact that the pandemic has had on faith communities, especially the Muslim community, many of whom belong to high risk BAME groups.
Religion is a protected characteristic in the Equality Act and the lack of data available on faith communities is concerning. While the inquiry into BAME inequalities is encouraging, emerging data demonstrates that risks are not uniform across ethnic groups and current aggregated BAME categories fail to consider important in-group differences in ethnicity and faith, limiting the scope of understanding and relevant action. Faith-based organizations have been at the forefront of community efforts, providing mental health and spiritual support through helplines, virtual streaming of congregations and bereavement counselling. They have also been providing practical support by organizing delivery of food, medicines and essential supplies to elderly, vulnerable and isolated households, offering guidance around issues such as end of life care and celebrating religious festivals as all as having to cope with excess burials and funerals in the community.
