21 Aug 2026 (Navroze Bureau) : South Asians remain underrepresented or grouped too broadly in many health datasets, making it harder for researchers and health systems to identify differences in disease risk, treatment response and healthcare needs across the region and its diaspora.
Experts say better representation and more detailed ethnicity data could help improve health research, prevention strategies and the delivery of culturally appropriate care.
Why South Asian Health Data Matters
South Asia is home to a huge and diverse population, but people of South Asian ancestry are often treated as a single broad category in research databases.
That can hide important differences between communities from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and other South Asian countries.
Even within individual countries, health risks can vary according to genetics, diet, environment, socioeconomic conditions and access to healthcare.
Broad Categories Can Hide Health Differences
When different populations are combined into a single “Asian” or “South Asian” category, researchers may lose important information.
For example, health datasets in some countries have struggled to distinguish specific South Asian groups. Research from New Zealand has noted that non-Indian South Asians were not separately identifiable in some national health data because of existing ethnic classifications.
This can make it difficult to determine which communities are experiencing higher rates of particular diseases or poorer outcomes.
Diabetes Is a Major Example
South Asian populations have attracted considerable attention from researchers studying type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Recent research also highlights the substantial diabetes burden in India and the distinctive characteristics of diabetes risk among South Asian populations.
If health databases do not accurately identify affected populations, policymakers may struggle to determine where screening, prevention and treatment resources are most urgently required.
Heart Disease and Other Conditions
The importance of better data extends beyond diabetes.
Researchers have identified differences in cardiovascular risk, obesity patterns and other health outcomes among South Asian populations.
Some studies suggest that South Asians can experience metabolic and cardiovascular risks at body weights that might not be considered high under conventional Western thresholds.
Without detailed data, these differences can be overlooked when healthcare guidelines are developed using predominantly European or other populations.
The Problem of ‘Asian’ as a Single Category
One of the biggest challenges is the use of broad racial or ethnic categories.
Grouping Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Chinese, Japanese and other Asian populations together can make statistical analysis easier, but it may hide substantial differences in disease patterns and healthcare experiences.
More detailed data can reveal disparities that disappear when populations are combined.
Missing Data Can Affect Medical Research
Underrepresentation also affects clinical research.
If relatively few South Asian participants are included in medical studies, researchers may have less evidence about how treatments, risk factors or preventive interventions perform in these populations.
Research on minority communities has identified persistent barriers to participation, including language and communication difficulties and concerns around cultural differences.
Language and Cultural Factors Matter
Health data is not only about numbers.
Language barriers, cultural beliefs, family structures and experiences with healthcare can influence whether people seek treatment, participate in research or follow medical advice.
A systematic review examining medication adherence among ethnic minority communities found that South Asian participants reported language barriers, cultural stigma and difficulties communicating with healthcare professionals as factors affecting diabetes treatment.
What Needs to Change?
Experts and researchers increasingly argue for several improvements.
Health systems could:
- Collect more detailed ethnicity and ancestry information.
- Avoid unnecessarily broad “Asian” categories.
- Include South Asian communities more consistently in clinical research.
- Improve recruitment of participants from different South Asian backgrounds.
- Provide health information in relevant languages.
- Involve communities in designing research and health programmes.
- Link health, demographic and socioeconomic datasets responsibly.
- Protect privacy while improving the usefulness of health data.
Better Data Does Not Mean Stereotyping
More detailed data should not be used to assume that every person from a particular ethnic group has the same health risks.
Instead, researchers can use population-level information to identify patterns while recognising differences within communities.
Ethnicity is only one factor influencing health, alongside age, sex, genetics, income, environment, lifestyle and access to healthcare.
Community Participation Is Essential
Improving databases should not simply mean collecting more information about communities without involving them.
Researchers have increasingly argued for co-created approaches, in which affected communities help shape research priorities, data collection and interpretation.
This can improve trust and make studies more relevant to the people they are intended to benefit.
Why This Matters Globally
South Asians are not only concentrated in South Asia. Large South Asian communities live in countries including the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and countries across the Middle East.
Better data in these populations could help health authorities identify inequalities among migrant communities and develop more targeted prevention and treatment programmes.
A More Complete Picture of Global Health
Global health databases influence research priorities, funding decisions, public-health policies and clinical guidelines.
If major populations are poorly represented or their data is hidden inside broad categories, the resulting picture of global health may be incomplete.
Improving South Asian representation is therefore not simply about filling a statistical gap. It is about ensuring that health research reflects the diversity of the people it is designed to serve.